From: "John Myers" > Jerry, > Did you get up to SF to paddle the Romany Explorer? What did you think of > it? Yes. I rented an Explorer from Riptides and Rapids in Mountain View at an exhorbitant $60 for the afternoon. We launched at Redwood City in the south bay. Weather radio reported 21 mph winds at the time so there were good for a test. We headed north through Corkscrew Slough which twists and turns for a few miles. The water was flat but the wind in the slough was 10 to 15 so I could evaluate weather helm at different headings easily. The Explorer is very well balanced, with a slight tendency to turn up wind. Lowering the skeg gives a slight tendency to turn down wind. The boat is easy to turn and easy to control. However, I still like the efficiency of the rudder on my GTS better in these easy conditions. This was my first experience with a British boat, and first with a skeg. The skeg mechanism stunk. There was a thin string in a cleat that allows the skeg to drop. But it did not always drop. So I never knew where the hell it was, except if my buddy came along side to tell me. I could tell if there was a side wind, but not precisely, and I spent more time than I liked trying to adjust it. I understand that there is now a sliding mechanism that is a big improvement. I think that the skeg adds an extremely effective means of control if it works precisely and you can tell where the skeg is. After paddling up wind for an hour or so, we left the slough and entered the open bay. Here the wind was 20 mph or more and there were white caps everywhere. I managed to put the skeg all the way down. The Explorer is fantastic in these conditions. We had a 40 minute down wind run and I think I surfed all the way with maybe 2 padddle strokes, a couple of leans and maybe 3 stern rudders. Extremely easy to control, extremely comfortable, no twitchiness whatever. Easy to lean and turn. I think it was easier than my Solstice GTS in these conditions, even with the rudder. There was a disconcerting vibration in the skeg as the boat surfed, but it seemed to cause no harm. The Explorer had a foam seat and backband replacing the NDK seat. This was comfy at first, but after 2 hours became very uncomfortable. Did not get to try the NDK seat. I am very tempted to buy this boat in addition to my GTS and Express. But it was so damn heavy. I believe the Kevlar version is an extra $1000 and I don't know if the Brits have learned to make Kevlar boats. Jerry *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Having recently just returned from the "Romany factory" I can report that The Explorer is now being made in three weights. They are not doing Kevlar for the light weight version, but something else. This is so new that it has not been added to their advertising yet. I paddled one of the light weight boats. It is a lighter overall weight, but it is not the thin hull layup of the typical US boat. Could it be a mixture of carbon, glass & resin?? NDK is no longer making Kevlar. Robert > From: Gerald Foodman <klagjf_at_worldnet.att.net> > Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 22:19:49 -0700 > To: jmyers_at_longbranch.k12.nj.us > Cc: Fred Mansueto <w.doolaan_at_worldnet.att.net>, paddlewise > <paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net> > > The Explorer had a foam seat and backband replacing the NDK seat. This was > comfy at first, but after 2 hours became very uncomfortable. Did not get to > try the NDK seat. > > I am very tempted to buy this boat in addition to my GTS and Express. But > it was so damn heavy. I believe the Kevlar version is an extra $1000 and I > don't know if the Brits have learned to make Kevlar boats. > > Jerry *************************************************************************** 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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