[Paddlewise] Caribou S

Hi,
        Bayside Bob asked: Anyone familiar with the CD Caribou S ?
        I answer yes, but also point out that I work as the rental room
supervisor for Ocean River Sports, which is a company owned by Brian Henry
who is also an owner of Current Designs. So, I consider my response to be
partisan. The rental fleet is almost exclusively CD boats and there are
always a couple of Caribous.
        If I'm not camping it's always the boat I like to borrow. It has
good stability, that's probably the hard chines, but takes an edge easily
and carves turns very predictably.
        I understand it was originally designed in wood by Buchanan on the
East coast, but Brian Henry paddled it at a symposium, loved its
responsiveness and arranged to produce it in fibreglass.
        Initially it was produced without a skeg. It tracked well in calmer
water, but  I didn't have it out in trying conditions. This year, 1999, the
skeg was added. The box does intrude into the rear cargo hold, but several
instructors used it even when they were camping, they just said, "I have to
pack well."
        I met numerous Caribou owners, visitors from the interior of this
continent who'd come and rent the Caribou. They were all very enthusiastic
about it.
        I'm over 6' tall and never encountered any difficulty with the
cockpit which is more of a keyhole design than other CD boats but much
larger than my personal kayak - a Brit boat.
        Hope this helps,
        Chris Banner. Victoria. BC.
        

***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************