RE: [Paddlewise] Magazine out-Article by Doug L

> Kevin Stevens wrote:
>
> > Doug - how much does your Nordkapp weigh now vs when it was new?
>
> Kes'
>
> It was 56 when new, and is 90 now. Bear in mind that I have added a couple of
> layers to the hull that were not part of my "modifications". I simply felt the
> original kayak was far too flimsy in the hull (I don't know where that leaves
> non-factory ordered light-layup N. American kayaks in my mind, then).
> Also, after puncturing the hull a number of times, I got fed up and felt the
> epoxy saturated cloth would be more impact resistant. I wish the whole boat
was
> epoxy resin impregnated glass (sorry Wes, iron rusts).

Thanks for the quick response, Doug...

> The actual modifications conceptualized and brought to fruition by
> myself over the years and successive rebuilds, must add 20. Another 5 of the
total
> 90 must be the weight of the epoxy cloth to hold the modifications in place.
In
> other words, if I were to use my existing kayak as a mold, I could then lay
the
> whole thing up as a
> consistent whole, bringing down the weight at least by that 5, if not 10.

I'm surprised (and impressed) that the various repairs, patches, and re-seams
(apart from the end-pours and other modifications) haven't added more weight
than that.  How does your boat (pre-keelson, if you can remember) feel compared
to a new boat?  I'm not thinking of the weight as much as the tenderness and
heel, etc.  Has the boat ever started to feel "clunky", or would you even notice
with as much time as you have in it?  (I once got back on an old road-race
motorcycle of mine after a season on a newer one, and immediately thought I'd
kill myself before I could get off the course.)

> A side note:
> I really do not expect folks on this list to understand nor endorse
> this type of weight for a sea kayak. I am unusually hard on my kayak - a
tsunami
> ranger in a loaded, narrow touring kayak. Incidents of breaking footrests and
> submerging into the cockpit happened in real-time. I know I am an oddity at
best,
> and fit no pre-defined categories and so suffer the consequences of
> schizophrenia. I'm sure folks on this list give a wink or two when they read
some
> of my posts, but I really do punish my boat, body _and_ brain at times. At the
end
> of the season, I often have more deep gouges in the hull, running
perpendicular to the
> keel line, than most people have running the usual length of the hull after
ten
> years. I'm not proud of this fact, it's just a statement.


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