Reinhold Werner Weber wrote: > > In the July/August number of Kanu Magazin (in German) there was a photo of a Feathercraft Klondike (a double!) being rolled. With air-sponsons deflated, they indicated. > > But these are rare, exceptional performances. While it takes a lot to roll a double folding kayak, it is not exceptional. Any pair of good rollers can do it. I have seen it done with the double Klepper, which is wider than the Klondike by almost half a foot, and with the sponsons inflated. The hardest job may be in tipping the boat over in the first place. The pair I saw had to practically dive over the side while attached to their sprayskirts in order to get the boat to flip. But the issue of rolling a folding kayak is almost academic. They are not prone to tip and even a modicum of a brace will keep you upright in absolutely insane waters, or just working like the devil to stay centered in your boat will do. I first became really aware of this when I was out in a Klepper Aerius I with friends who were in hardshells. We were together in a particularly funny spot on the Connecticut coast in which waters were swirling and clashing around some islands. My friends were within a boat length or two of me and had to brace to keep their kayaks steady. I was so fascinated by their bracing that I put down my paddle, placed it in its paddle pocket and reached into my lunch bag. While in the very same conditions as they, I eat a half a sandwich watching them bracing. Most folding kayaks have a low brace built into them. They all can tip but they have to go pretty far over to do so. I am not certain that a folding kayak, except a very slim one like the Khatsalano, could be reliably rolled, i.e. a roll seeing you through like it might in a slimmer hardshell or skinboat. Rolling is more of a circus act, to be performed like the pair I saw with the Klepper and the guys in Germany mentioned above with their Feathercraft Klondike. ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Sep 12 2000 - 04:22:10 PDT
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