Re: [Paddlewise] No bulkheads ???

I have a Wilderness Systems Arctic Hawk SS <no hatches> and use it
occasionally for overnighters.  The airbags will do little in filling the
gaps between your packed drybags.  They will fill the large voids as you
assumed.  I have purposely swampped the Hawk with the full weekender load
and it was a bit of a challenge re-entering and rolling as there was about
25-30 gallons of water in the boat.  While it was a bit of challenge, it was
doable.  I pumped it dry in under 7 minutes.

If you are in doubt you could always outfit the boat with a sea sock.  I
don't like the extra bulk of a sock, both around the combing and in the
cockpit.  JMHO.

I suppose that some strap or lacing system would secure your cargo.  My load
stayed intact w/o a securing system.

Advantages to no bulkhead/hatches:  clean, dry deck, light weight, big gear
capacity.

Steve Scherrer
Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe    N 45º 39' 47"
250 NE Tomahawk Isle Dr.       W 122º 36' 16"
Portland, OR  97217          Web: www.aldercreek.com
Phone: 503.285.0464        Email: aldercreek_at_qwest.net


----- Original Message -----
From: <MJAkayaker_at_aol.com>
To: <Paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net>
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2001 2:55 PM
Subject: [Paddlewise] No bulkheads ???


> I am considering buying a smaller 2nd kayak for day trips and light
surfing
> that has no bulkheads and no hatches.  Using airbags for floatation and
not
> having hatches appeals to me for a couple of reasons. One, I like the idea
of
> being able to checking the integrity of the floatation easily.  I once had
a
> bad experience with a leaking hatch (the hatch itself not just the cover)
> that started filling up the kayak in the middle of a paddle.  The problem
was
> not apparent from a visual inspection. Second, I think I'll get a drier
ride
> without a front hatch.  Although I know this depends on the design of each
> model, the kayaks that I liked from a handling standpoint did not have
what I
> considered "flush" hatches.  I have also had problems with hatch cover
> deterioration so that was just more reason to prefer the hatchless system.
>
> What concerns me is that if I like this new kayak as much as I think, then
I
> will want to start using it for overnighter's and weekend trips.  My
> experience with packing says that no matter how "stuffed" the cargo area,
> there will still be considerable voids between bags. I worry that in a
> capsize the voids would fill up with water and consequently there would
not
> be enough floatation for a self rescue.  Filling up the cargo area with
> filled dry bags and no air bags strikes me the same as filling up the
cargo
> area in my bulkheaded kayak and not worrying about having the hatch covers
> on.  I know the two situations are not really the same thing, but I just
get
> this "bad" feeling about my dry bags full of gear serving as my
floatation.
>
> Am I being paranoid about this?
>
> Is there some way to be pretty sure that I'll have enough floatation from
the
> dry bags without the air bags
> a) before buying the kayak  ?
> b) without putting a gear load in the kayak and swamping it to see if it
> floats when I climb back in ?
>
> Will partially inflating an air bag really fill in the smaller spaces
between
> bags?  (I know it will help in filling up the larger spaces at the kayak
ends
> or between the bags and the deck)
>
> Do I need to have a "web" or strap of some type where the bulkheads would
> normally be located to make sure bags to not come out?  (If I can get it
in
> what keeps it from coming out?).
>
> For those of you who have kayaks with no bulkheads, did you find any
> unexpected problems or benefits from not having the bulkheads.
>
>
> Mark J. Arnold
> MJAkayaker_at_aol.com
>
>
>
>
>
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