I'm seeking information about sit on top kayaks, and whether its possible to use them for multiday trips, carrying camping gear, food and cook stuff, water, etc, etc. My only time experience with a sot was a rental in Southern California a couple of weeks ago, and I wasn't very impressed. The hatches were held shut with single bungees, and there seemed to be a hole in the bottom that leaked water into the foot space. It also seemed pretty slow, (could have been the plastic paddle...) No seat belts were available, so it would have been hard to brace in rough conditions, and impossible to roll. Turns out that most of the rental kayaks available in Bocas del Toro are sots. I will do almost anything to avoid shlepping the Folbot and all it's gear to Panama, but have some serious doubts about sot boats. (Where does the compass go... on your knee??) Any reassurances from experienced sot campers would be most appreciated! Tina Portland, OR ------------------------------------------------------------- ___________ / OOOOOOO- / I / -OOOOOOO- / I /___________/ / I___________I / Have you hugged your bento today? Check out the BENTO BUGGY website at: http://www.pcez.com/BentoBuggy ------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
SOTs vary in their performance and ease of camping out of them. I have never tried the latter but I do know it has been done. Clearly, you don't have as much enclosed space for gear nor around you as you have with the Folbot. This forces you to carry more of your load on top of the front and back "decks". However, given that this is tropical paddling where you can go light on tent, sleeping bags and clothing it should be doable. Since you won't have an SOT you own that you may have modified with extra straps etc., you may want to bring something for strapping down deck gear and pray that there are sufficient deck fitting hooks, etc. to tie things down. As for a compass, you could strap one down on the deck in front of you with the bungee holders they often have, like the Suunto has on one model. The holes are to let water out but, more often than not, it lets water in. As for straps to hold you in place, most SOTs don't have them except those meant for whitewater. Don't worry about rolling one. You just climb back aboard and there is nothing to empty out. As for speed, it's like the situation with any fiberglass, plastic, folding etc. type kayak, i.e. some are slow and some are fast. I would think that the SOT is some resort beach hotel or town would be on the slow side and also have the minimum in the way of hatches and tie downs. In fact, I would be surprised that they had hatches at all as that adds to their cost, although the beach resort may have gotten a deal on a batch of them that may have come supplied more fully configured. I think Sandy has camped out on an SOT and can comment on this aspect of them. In parting, I think it is probably okay not to lug along your Folbot to such a place if all you plan to do is a few hours of play paddling in which any SOT would be just fine. But if you want to do more things and go overnight, you may be better off in a boat you know that you can bring from home as you have a good idea of how it behaves in various conditions plus how much you can carry for camping and where to place it. ralph Tina wrote: > > I'm seeking information about sit on top kayaks, and whether its possible > to use them for multiday trips, carrying camping gear, food and cook stuff, > water, etc, etc. > > My only time experience with a sot was a rental in Southern California a > couple of weeks ago, and I wasn't very impressed. The hatches were held > shut with single bungees, and there seemed to be a hole in the bottom that > leaked water into the foot space. It also seemed pretty slow, (could have > been the plastic paddle...) No seat belts were available, so it would have > been hard to brace in rough conditions, and impossible to roll. > > Turns out that most of the rental kayaks available in Bocas del Toro are > sots. I will do almost anything to avoid shlepping the Folbot and all it's > gear to Panama, but have some serious doubts about sot boats. (Where does > the compass go... on your knee??) Any reassurances from experienced sot > campers would be most appreciated! > > Tina > Portland, OR > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > ___________ > / OOOOOOO- / I > / -OOOOOOO- / I > /___________/ / > I___________I / > > Have you hugged your bento today? > Check out the BENTO BUGGY website > at: http://www.pcez.com/BentoBuggy > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > *************************************************************************** > 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/ > *************************************************************************** -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Thanks to everyone for the input. The time on the water was intended to be 7 to 10 days, with unknown availability of food and water for restocking during that time. What type s-o-ts available is unknown at this time too, but, amazingly, I can email to find out what they use for rentals. Will decide in the next few days whether to try to disassemble the Folbot, after 6 or 7 years, and lug it down to Central America. Tina Portland. OR ------------------------------------------------------------- ___________ / OOOOOOO- / I / -OOOOOOO- / I /___________/ / I___________I / Whoa! New menu! New schedule! Check out the BENTO BUGGY website at: http://www.pcez.com/BentoBuggy ------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
This doesn't directly address your question, Tina, but I've got one of the more popular SOTs, the Ocean Kayak Scrambler. I've installed Gaspachi hatches since buying it, and would have to say that, given enough small and medium sized drybags, I could pack that hull with enough equipment for a long weekend or a short week --- or, in the tropics and assuming water was available, just about forever. That doesn't count the recesses in the after deck sized to hold large coolers. Yeah, it's a wet ride, and it's incredibly slow. The hull speed on mine is about three knots, and it makes virtually no difference how hard you paddle after getting to that speed --- that's as fast as it's going to go, and it takes a good amount of effort to get it up there. The Scrambler has fittings for thigh straps (I don't think you want to fool around with any sort of kayak seatbelt, at least not on PaddleWise!) and you could even make your own out of two pieces of four foot long webbing and four "dogleash" clips if you wanted to, making it possible to roll. Not sure how it would do with a twenty gallon cooler on the back deck, but, clear deck, it's not that hard to roll. SOTs get bad press from PaddleWisers and other elite paddling groups (;-), but they're a lot of fun in warm weather, they serve a purpose in the hierarchy of boats, especially for fishing and free diving, and they're cheap by any other standards. Good luck with the trip. Jack *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 02/18/2000 12:49:13 PM Eastern Standard Time, rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com writes: << I think Sandy has camped out on an SOT and can comment on this aspect of them. >> Tina, sorry, my .02 are a bit late. Don't be scared of SOTs in warm weather. They're loads of fun. The larger ones like Ocean Kayak's Scupper Pro (quite popular over here), the Prism etc. have lots of storage space. If you have backpacking size/weight stuff you will see that it's easy. A lot of people strap stuff on top, but it's best to keep as much as you can inside the boat. DON'T TAKE A LOT OF CLOTHES. You're allowed to use the same bathing suit and t-shirt for the duration, though something dry for the evening is advisable. A sarong is nice. A wide brimmed hat is better than a cap or visor. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Tina wrote: > Will decide in the next few days whether to try to disassemble the Folbot, > after 6 or 7 years, and lug it down to Central America. If you have not disassembled the Folbot in 6 or 7 years, you probably have a frame that is stuck together. Those aluminum tubes will eventually seize up at their male/female joining points. And the aluminum sliders that are part of the connection in the middle of the boat will also likely be stuck as well. Luckily the tolerances are somewhat looser for the aluminum connections on Folbots than they are in Feathercrafts. The general rule of thumb on leaving Feathercrafts assembled is in the order of 3 months or so. People have left them assembled longer than that and been able to take them apart; the connections were well lubricated, the boats stored upside down, air let out of the sponsons, and washed with fresh water before storage periods. But I have seen too many Feathercrafts requiring blowtouching and hacksawing to suggest that you can leave them assembled for longish periods. Folbots, as I said, have looser tolerance and so you can get away with leaving them assembled longer. A half dozen years, however, is a long time. If you find that the frame will not come apart, get in touch with me and I will share the various strategies, from minor to drastic, to try to free it up. Wooden frame folding kayaks, BTW, don't have this problem. They can be left assembled for years. Your only problem then is remembering how to take them apart. :-) ralph -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
At 8:12 AM -0800 2/19/00, ralph diaz wrote: >If you have not disassembled the Folbot in 6 or 7 years, you probably >have a frame that is stuck together. <snip> But I have seen too >many Feathercrafts requiring blowtouching and hacksawing to suggest that >you can leave them assembled for longish periods. Ralph, Many thanks for the kind offer of your expertise in taking apart the potentially frozen folbot. That sit on top is sounding better all the time....! Found pictures of the rentals at: http://www.bocaswatersports.com/waterskiing.html the little blue number looks fairly functional... Tina Portland, Oregon ------------------------------------------------------------- ___________ / OOOOOOO- / I / -OOOOOOO- / I /___________/ / I___________I / Whoa! New menu! New schedule! Check out the BENTO BUGGY website at: http://www.pcez.com/BentoBuggy ------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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