Re: [Paddlewise] KAYAK KIT RECOMMENDATION

From: Chris Beckman <cbeckman_at_dmv.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2002 20:02:11 -0400
I've built 5 CLC boats, obviously I'm partial to them, here's my 2 cents for what it's worth.
 
> 1. Reliability and support from the manufacturer.
Excellent

> 2. Quality of the materials and manuals
Material quality is great, the parts are cut with a CNC machine and match very well.  The manuals are good, some experience with woodworking is obviously a help.  The support forum and phone support are very helpful.

> 3. Ease of construction
Very easy, we built boats #2 and #3 with the help of a buddy of mine with zero woodworking experience and zero tool experience.  He documented it at http://home.dmv.com/~cbeckman/yak1a.htm

> 4. Design quality, i.e. how well does the boat handle, tracking, weathercocking, etc.
Depends on the design, the Chesapeake series tracks very well, the North Bay series handle well, but a skeg helps them track better. The catalog is free and the model comparison matrix is very useful.  The trick is to be truthful with your wants and abilities.

Chris
the extended family fleet includes:
Tred Avon Triple
Chesapeake 16
Chesapeake 18
North Bay XL
North Bay 
Patuxant 19.5
various plastic boats



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Received on Mon Jun 10 2002 - 17:00:22 PDT

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