Re: [Paddlewise] Sleeping with your boat

From: ralph diaz <rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com>
Date: Fri, 08 Sep 2000 09:03:54 -0700
Arthur Hebert wrote:
> 
> >>Peter Treby 37°42'S 145°08'E
> >I wonder if any paddlewisers have slept in their boats, as is apparently
> >possible with the Vitudden Ocean? How is it done?
> >Regards,
> 

Years ago, I was practicing with a friend in a double Klepper for a
folding kayak race on the East River.  We were joined by a friend in a
single Klepper.

We paddled up the East River.  The guy was lagging behind us.  He had
had a late night out the previous evening and was tired.  At one point
when I looked back, I saw what looked like an empty boat.  We raced back
and found him stretched out inside asleep totally out of sight!  Here it
was a busy summer Friday late afternoon in one of the most heavily
traveled commercial waters around and he was just floating along with
the current asleep.  God indeed does watch over babies, drunks, and
careless kayakers.  And yes you can sleep inside your boat.

I have an article in my newsletter of a fellow who rigged a tent to
place over his double Klepper so that he could sleep inside.  He was
paddling along a marshy shoreline where there really wasn't much dry
land on which to pitch a tent.  He took a small North Face tent and tore
out the floor. In my article I suggested a similar sized Eureka tent,
which would not be so costly to disfigure that way.  He did use his set
up for some six days, if I recall.

If one chooses to sleep in a narrow kayak it may be a tight fit and you
should probably deploy an outrigger or add spxnsxns.  My guess is that
the minimum width kayak for sleeping in would be around 24 inch beam
just  to give you some wiggle room.

ralph diaz
-- 
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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."
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Received on Fri Sep 08 2000 - 06:04:39 PDT

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