Peter, I am a proud owner of the Vitudden Kajak you are asking about. I actually purchased it for the width. I am a ...err.. ...uhm.. full figured guy (i.e. kinda' fat). The model you refer to is the "Ocean". The kajak has two bulkheads. The big difference is that the front bulkhead is a little farther forward than on most boats. With the use of gas-pedal type rudder controls one is able to stretch out in the cockpit. If you look at the pictures on the web site, the front bulkhead is actually forward of the hatch. So after opening the hatch, on the fore deck, you have a second, vertical, hatch "with a vault like door" forward. The open space below the hatch is where your feet end up if you are laying down. Your legs go between the rudder pedals. It is open all the way to the rear bulkhead, just behind the seat. Picture your head where your butt usually sits. It doesn't work for me because my shoulders are too broad to fit in the cockpit. The below link is to a dealer of these kajaks. It is a top view of the boat. You should be able to see how from the back of the cockpit to the front of the fore hatch there is room. http://www.kayak.se/images/gif/kajaker/oceanov14.gif Let me know if my explanation is unclear and I can try again. .Hal BTW: The deck fittings are nice :- ) I suppose the only catch is they seem designed for a flat surface and don't work well on a curved surface because of the diameter. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Hal writes: "I am a proud owner of the Vitudden Kajak you are asking about... The model you refer to is the "Ocean". The kajak has two bulkheads. The big difference is that the front bulkhead is a little farther forward than on most boats. With the use of gas-pedal type rudder controls one is able to stretch out in the cockpit..." I wonder if any paddlewisers have slept in their boats, as is apparently possible with the Vitudden Ocean? How is it done? Regards, Peter Treby 37°42'S 145°08'E *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
> to stretch out in the cockpit..." I wonder if any paddlewisers have slept > in their boats, as is apparently possible with the Vitudden Ocean? How is > it done? Regards, Peter Treby 37°42'S 145°08'E As soon as you get that low in the boat, your stability goes way up. The Dagger Edisto (14ft plastic) has no front bulkhead; you can stretch out and lay your head on the back deck. I was very nervous about trying it, so I rigged a paddle float to lean on in case it didn't work. I was quite surprised by how stable the boat became once I was laying down. This was just a for a quick afternoon nap on a calm lake during a quiet little rain shower. Amazingly peaceful. Should be perfectly adaptable to overnighting on the water where all the surrounding land is private and vigilantly guarded. [ie, Devils River, South Texas, a river I badly want to tour by kayak, if I can ever manage to put 5 fall/winter days together in a row for a vacation...] Richard Walker Conroe, TX http://people.txucom.net/~rwwamtek/kayak_log.html *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
>>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, > Slept in a Eddyline Wind Dancer for 19 continuos nights. I would not have considered sleeping with my body totally within the cockpit and below the deck on the open sea. This decision was made after many methods of sleeping in the kayak was tested prior to the nineteen nights. The Wind Dancer being 24" at the beam created problems for quick actions to resume a defensive paddling position. The final method was being fully dressed (PFD and spray skirt, on and attached). Cushion was added on the seat during sleep to raise my bottom off the seat. The raising of my bottom was needed in order to lay my head back on a paddle float positioned on the rear deck. Seas encountered during sleep ranged from calm to eight feet. Due to the currents and wind in the Gulf of Mexico the seas were almost always in a confused state. Sea anchor was deployed along with sponsons. During sleep the material that was velcroed on the rear of the Soltex hat was turned toward the front. This allowed the material to cover my face. Many nights the waves would continuously break onto my face. Even waves of only four feet or less splashed on the side of the hull which would cause water to enter my mouth. The material after wetted stuck to my face and minimize the saltwater infiltration. John, I never thought of bringing the kayak in bed with the wife and I. I did although kiss the wife good night many a nights and went into the back yard or my workshop and slept in the kayak. Hey beats sleeping in the dog house! Arthur Hebert http://homepages.gs.net/seacajun *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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 -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/ ***************************************************************************
ralph diaz writes: > <snip> > should probably deploy an outrigger or add spxnsxns. My guess is that ^^^^^^^^ Allrighty, for the sake of the newbies on the group I'll ask for them. Why is it common practice in this group to misspell sp*ns*n (showing the other common spelling variant)?? As I recall from the little I've heard is that it has to do with some great religious debate on paddlewise awhile (?) back. Just Curious -- Glen Acord Eugene, OR *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
> From: B00jum! <snark_at_tulgey.org> > ralph diaz writes: > > <snip> > > should probably deploy an outrigger or add spxnsxns. My guess is that > ^^^^^^^^ > Allrighty, for the sake of the newbies on the group I'll ask for them. > Why is it common practice in this group to misspell sp*ns*n (showing > the other common spelling variant)?? > > As I recall from the little I've heard is that it has to do with some > great religious debate on paddlewise awhile (?) back. Actually, the "great religious debate" occurred on WaveLength which would not allow discussion of sponsons because the word invoked such intense flamming and personal attacks on that list. Alas, PaddleWise was born :-) A little more background, the developer/promoter of sponsons felt all kayakers (even ww) should carry sponsons and was attempting to persuade the US Coastguard to mandate that all kayakers carry sponsons. Some marketing ploy, eh? :-) The US Coastguard has not embraced the idea. For a good discussion that occurred on PaddleWise regarding sponsons as soon as PaddleWise came into being, go to the PaddleWise website http://www.paddlewise.net/topics/boatequip/sponson.html Cheers, Jackie *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
RE/ >Slept in a Eddyline Wind Dancer for 19 continuos nights. Geeze!!! And here I am wondering if I'm going to be able to learn how to sleep in a hammock... ----------------------- Pete Cresswell *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
"Slept in a Eddyline Wind Dancer for 19 continuous nights..." Arthur: Very inspiring effort. I suppose your sleep wasn't all that deep in that situation, and you ended up with a hefty sleep deficit. Visited your website, hope your daughter's coping with JRA OK. Regards, Peter Treby 37º 42' S 145º 08' E *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
>"Slept in a Eddyline Wind Dancer for 19 continuous nights..." >Arthur: Peter located _at_37º 42' S 145º 08' E wrote; >Very inspiring effort. I suppose your sleep wasn't all that deep in that >situation, and you ended up with a hefty sleep deficit. Visited your >website, hope your daughter's coping with JRA OK. >Regards, >Peter Treby To sleep in ones kayak is without a doubt very unsafe. Unless of course your in a body of water where there is no power vessels of any type and the weather forecast is favorable. Precautions should be taken to prevent a capsize during sleep. There is bigger dangers while sleeping than a capsize. It is the ships, commercial fishing vessels and smaller power boats that poses the biggest danger. Performing a horizon check every 15 to 20 minutes for larger vessels caused my sleep deprivation after day five on the Gulf Expedition. My daughter Nichole is doing great. We like to give credit to her dedication to a serious exercise program and diet. Arthur Hebert On the other side da river from New Orleans *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
>capsize. It is the ships, commercial fishing vessels and smaller power boats that poses the biggest danger. Performing a horizon check every 15 to 20 minutes for larger vessels caused my sleep deprivation after day five on the Gulf Expedition. I would have thought this product had no relevance for kayakers, but perhaps it does. There is a device called the CARD (I think it means "Collision Avoidance Radar Device"). It's quite small (at least in sailboat terms), about 6-8 inches across and about that same height. Runs on 12v. When on, it cans an area of up to around 5 miles, and has a little radar readout. If it picks up anything within its range, it triggers an alarm that wakes you up. The device was originally developed so that sailors could sleep without having to activate their full radar devices, which take up much more electrical power. (The CARD uses a very small electrical draw.) It's a definite bonus for ocean crossings, I would think, although the need for 12v power is an obvious problem for a kayaker. Mark *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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