Re: [Paddlewise] Port Townsend symposium

"Any reviews for us East Coast paddlers?  Shall I make an effort to
attend
sometime? " Sandy


     I tried about forty other boats during three days at the West Coast
sea kayak symposium.  I found none that I liked better than my Mariner
Express.  Some boats had similar maneuverability, but lacked the easy
glide of a Mariner. Some others had the glide, but lacked either the
quick turning or the extra solid secondary stability.  There was no way
to test for any of the boats behavior in real wind or waves.
      Conditions were light offshore winds and flat water, so the
comparisons were necessarily limitted.  I am 5'- 91/2" and 155 pounds
and I like to paddle in wind and waves.  I tended to test boats of
moderate length and that do not need a rudder.  There were a few boats
that I thought were good enough that maybe I might like them as much as
a Mariner if I could test them thoroughly
and get to know them well in a variety of conditions.
    The two kayaks that impressed me the most were the Legend, designed
by Nigel Foster, and the new "Jubilee" version of the Nordkap.  There
were lots of other boats that I liked, but these two stood out for me.
Nigel Foster's Silhouette was interesting, but I couldn't give it a fair
trial since it lacked foot braces.  I still have a hard time entering
the extremely small cockpit on the Silhoutte as well, though Nigel made
it look easy;  I am sure that I could re-enter the tiny cockpit with
practice, but I like the larger cockpit on his Legend much better.  I
had a chance to paddle a Futura surf ski, it was very fun and amazingly
stable,  but it is another kind of boat.  There were of course many
other boats that I didn't try.
     I was left with the knowledge that I want at LEAST three kayaks:  A
long fast boat, a short surf boat, and the medium sized boat that I
already have.  I am still glad I picked the mid sized boat first.  It is
fun for playing in the waves, but long enough to go cruising and has
enough volume to carry camping gear.

Nick Lyle

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