RE: [Paddlewise] Paddlesports show at UNH

Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2000 10:59:03 PDT
From: "Allison Corning" <acorning_at_hotmail.com>
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Paddlesports show at UNH

Joe wrote:
>I found Derek quite entertaining.  One of his comments that stuck in my
>mind
>the most was during his pool session.  He was paddling a kevlar Gulfstream
>and had to mention that although it was a fine boat indeed, he prefers a
>heavier layed-up boat that will give him confidence in rough seas.  He says
>the light boats are great for car-topping, but he prefers boats that "don't
>flutter in the wind like leaves" when dropped.

Allison responded:
>>I couldn't get into the room for the MITA presentation but saw all of DH's
talks/demos. I was also struck by that comment-I am a smaller person and
have been looking at boats with the idea that a lighter one would be easier
for me to manipulate both on and off the car and at campsites....It was an
interesting reality check to remember that I want a boat that does best IN
THE WATER...duh.<<

So Derek is still advocating that heavy boat, heavy paddle baloney, he did
back 17 years ago.
My take then was that it was mainly justification for the heavy boats he and
others were building at the time in Britain (I guessed it was because of the
weak chopped strand mat they were using in the decks in order to have it
conform over the cool looking recessed deck fittings--much stronger woven
fabrics do not conform well around bumps unless it is vacuum bagged).
I wrote to him in the Spring of 1984 upon reviewing the galleys of the first
book he wrote to be published in the U.S., "Derek Hutchinson's Guide to Sea
Kayaking" copyright 1985.
Among eight typewritten pages of comments I wrote him this (gee, I was long
winded and blunt even then--for those masochists who would like to see all
eight pages, please contact me back channel):
p23)  The difference in handling of kayaks weighing 10 to 20
pounds more is very small although 20 pounds of ballast
concentrated at one end or the other can be quite significant.
It is easy to add ballast to a kayak but much more difficult to
make the heavier kayak easy for a small person to carry.  The
real trade off with weight is strength and rigidity, but even
here materials and construction methods can make a big
difference.  A 60 pound vacuumed bagged kayak made of vinylester and woven
roving is easily the match for a 75 pound kayak of polyester resin
and mostly fiberglass mat and coremat.  It is when you start
pushing the limits of lightness (30 to 40 pounds) that even
the strongest materials won't help much due to the flexibility
of the thin laminate and the stress risers that
form on flexing beyond certain limits.  Here in the Northwest
the public demands and gets a kayak that is a little too
lightweight to take hard pounding on rocks or enders in surf.
Few people here need all the extra strength that 10 pounds would
bring.  Those that do usually order a kayak of their choice
custom built to heavy duty specifications.
Since only a few will buy the heavy duty kayak you can hardly
expect that a manufacturer would not try to satisfy the demand,
 but rather insist that if one the customer wants one of his
kayaks he must buy a heavy-duty one. He would soon be bankrupt.
p34)  Weight to provide momentum can easily be added as gear or
ballast to a lightweight kayak but you can not take it off a
heavy kayak to carry it up the beach.  While weight is desirable
in strong wind and head seas (but far more is needed than the
little extra that is in a heavyweight kayak) this is a absurd
justification for cheap materials that must be made heavy for
strength and must be used (mat) so you can laminate over the
bumps of recessed deck fittings (which stronger woven materials
can't do).  The other major justification for heavyweight kayaks
is the strength and rigidity to withstand boat over boat rescues
which don't work with gear laden kayaks anyway.

Of the eight pages the only change Derek made to the manual was removing the
comment that food should be stored behind hatches and bulkheads in bear
country. I wrote him:
p244) DO NOT leave food in your kayak in bear country.  The bear
may still get it and destroy your mode of transportation in the process.
Kayaks with bulkheads are mouse proof not bear proof.

Allison, unless you are planning a long expedition with heavy loads and surf
landings my advice is buy a kayak you can lift by yourself. If you still
can't get it up on your car by yourself let me know which car and I will
give you some tips on how it might be accomplished most easily. If you think
you need extra weight in the kayak due to the potential conditions add it to
the kayak's bottom, low down where it will do the most good. Lead weights,
beach rocks, water bottles will all work. Have a way to fasten the weights
in place so they can't roll around and destabilize you. Under a float bag is
one way. Make the weights easy to remove so you can carry them back to the
car separately from your kayak. All of the benefits (and more) of a heavy
kayak in high winds. None of the pain (or back sprains).
Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com


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