Re: [Paddlewise] Feathercraft Khatsalano, S and Expedition K1

Andy Johnson wrote:
> 
> The Khatsalano is more the wet paddler's boat. It sits lower in the water and you > tend to get a good deal wetter.

Andy is dead on, here.
A few notes out of my mental logbook:
While paddling a particular section of coast on that island trip
(mentioned in my last post)I was running with the boat fully loaded with
a very fast current / very long wavelength swell (up to about 4')
pushing from behind. Sprinting to catch the waves left the bow
submerged, often for very long periods throwing water off the front
hatch (have since come up with a device to prevent this).  And once
caught and adjusted up onto the wave's shoulder, an awful lot of time
was spent leaned _well_back_ in stern ruddering position (longest,
fastest rides I've yet experienced), often throwing the brakes out to
keep from running that outta control bus into the wave ahead with enough
force to really bury the bow which could lead to a pearling broach and
quick capsize.
As the morning wore on and a couple minor points were rounded taking me
out of the main current running up the coast, the tail wind picked up
setting up a shorter, (still) fast chop steepening up to about 2'. 
Sprinting the loaded boat fast enough to catch that shorter stuff took
too much energy and so resigned myself to a somewhat slower pace than it
was running. Not so bad at first while it was in the 1' range and
washing up the rear deck without incident, but became a steady nuisance
as it rose to about the 2' level, mixing with occasional swells to
become larger still.  These would wash up the rear deck intact (moving
the spare paddle and paddle float around), then break over my back, neck
and shoulders. After about a half hour~hour of this, I decided enough
was enough and put in for a break.

> They are
> both fast. If you are serious about being 2 weeks out and potentially in the
> arctic it seems to me the K1 is the boat for you. If you go with the
> Khatsalano I'd really recommend the S. I think you'd survive long days on
> the water much less fatigued.

Ageed. Both the Khats and K1 are very good boats.  Still differ from
most on the Khats S, though.  Choose one and go paddle,

Vince
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