Can anybody give me some info (except the Feathercraft home page) about the Khatsalano? How is the Khatsalano to control without rudder? Thanks in advance Alex Lage alexlage_at_compuserve.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Alex, I am not without bias since I have a Khatsalano S that I am trying to sell to raise funds. But I am happy to give you my impressions. I do not have a rudder and probably would never get one for my Khats. Having a traditional hard-chine design, it is fairly stiff tracking and responds well to leaned turns, so it is easy to control in most conditions. For comparison, a glass kayak that I think it closely resembles in handling is the Arctic Hawk. I do find it sensitive to weight bias, however - as others have previously posted on this list. When packing, I need to load the boat stearn-heavy, or the boat can exhibit significant weather helm. When day touring, I load all my gear in the back and will sometimes carry an extra gallon or two of water to help trim the boat. Handling also seems to vary according to the amount of air in the sponsons and flotation bags. Add as much air as needed to tighten the skin and provide positive flotation, but experiment with different degrees of inflation to see if it effects your handling. As with any boat, your body weight and distribution is going to affect handling. I am 5' 6" and 150 lbs, so YMMV. Hope this helps, Harold *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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