In a message dated 4/29/2003 2:37:42 AM Eastern Standard Time, al.m_at_3web.net writes: > ... But... well, I don't see Quattros for less than $4000, even used ones. > It's a barge, not many people own or need them in civilian life :-). You > could get 2 new GII for the same buck, and there are plenty of them used > ones, too. I personally would favour a 2-boat option - if anything happens > to one of the boats, then the other one could (hopefully) render some > assistance ... The latter especially is an excellent point, which bears repeating herewith! The only significant difference between Quattros and regular AE-IIs is the addition of the second pair of sponsons, by the way, so in terms of usability all of the above applies to AE-IIs also, of course ... still G-IIs represent a lower investment, of course! I grew up in a family of four in folding doubles. My kids are the third generation to be introduced to the experience by one of the original boats, which we bought second hand in the late sixties. They learned very quickly from the beginning, just as my sister and I did at the time, that you stay in the cockpit or get wet and have grown into very able, safe and responsible crew members inconsequence! :-) Besides the Nautiraid and Folbot doubles and along the lines of Kleppers, there are also the Mk-IIs by Long Haul Products, as well as others, don't forget! Best regards, Ralph Ralph C. Hoehn Folding Boat Center P.O. Box 700 Enfield NH 03748 info_at_FoldingBoatCenter.com www.FoldingBoatCenter.com phone: +1-802-649-2555 -- Ralph phone: +1-603-632-9500 -- Alv (yup, they rhyme) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> > I personally would favour a 2-boat option - if anything happens > > to one of the boats, then the other one could (hopefully) render some > > assistance ... > > The latter especially is an excellent point, which bears repeating herewith! > > The only significant difference between Quattros and regular AE-IIs is the > addition of the second pair of sponsons, by the way, so in terms of usability > all of the above applies to AE-IIs also, of course ... still G-IIs represent > a lower investment, of course! > > I grew up in a family of four in folding doubles. My kids are the third > generation to be introduced to the experience by one of the original boats, > which we bought second hand in the late sixties. They learned very quickly > from the beginning, just as my sister and I did at the time, that you stay in > the cockpit or get wet and have grown into very able, safe and responsible > crew members inconsequence! > > :-) > > Besides the Nautiraid and Folbot doubles and along the lines of Kleppers, > there are also the Mk-IIs by Long Haul Products, as well as others, don't > forget! > Yes, (sorry) - I've missed out good ol' Pouch double. Same unsinkable frame material as in Klepper AEII, with price still much less than AEII. Additional advantage of folding doubles is their flexibility of interior due to open cockpit. On the flat water (trips with small kids mostly will be just that - dead calm water) such cockpit can be used without a sprayskirt, which makes easy to place a third paddler. There are also such rarities as Russian 3-seater "Taymen", if there still be a need to gather all the family in one boat. I have to say - if Klepper Quattro is a barge, then Taymen-3 is an aircraft carrier :-). It must be able to accomodate 4 adults, since most of such folding doubles can accomodate 2 adults + teenager or 3 adults, though 3rd adult is a pure passenger. I wouldn't, though, recommend buying T-3 in quantity less than 2 (second one for parts and spare skin), due to remoteness of manufacturer and cheapness of the boat, if they still manufacture this dinosaur. Newest designs of "commies" tend to have more slim frame and more plastic parts, which isn't always good. Alex. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 4/29/2003 10:51:50 PM Eastern Standard Time, al.m_at_3web.net writes: > ... Additional advantage of folding doubles is their flexibility of interior > due to open cockpit. On the flat water (trips with small kids mostly will > be just that - dead calm water) such cockpit can be used without a > sprayskirt, which makes easy to place a third paddler. There are also such > rarities as Russian 3-seater "Taymen", if there still be a need to gather > all the family in one boat. I have to say - if Klepper Quattro is a barge, > then Taymen-3 is an aircraft carrier :-). It must be able to accomodate 4 > adults, since most of such folding doubles can accomodate 2 adults + > teenager or 3 adults, though 3rd adult is a pure passenger. ... Good points, Alex. Our family "aircraft carrier" has been a Neva-III (triple), which might be considered the successor of the old Taimen. We have paddled with two families of four on Long Island Sound in one of each on a few occasions: A couple of hours on the water, lunch break on one of the many islands and then a couple of hours back to the cars. The cockpit (with the spray deck left off) has paddling room for three adults and two kids on a nice day; we've sailed it (with outriggers and without the spray deck) with two adults and four pre-teenage kids. In rainy weather, or when you expect to take water over the side of the boat, using the deck makes life somewhat more pleasant for all concerned. Our two kids still work well enough together to put up with sharing the forwardmost cockpit opening under those conditions. With me sitting in the stern, most of the day trip gear forward of my feet, my wife sitting midships and the kids up front, the boat ends up trimmed slightly by the stern. In that configuration I do not even need to use a rudder (neither for directional stability nor as an aid for changing direction). Paddling that boat with three adults, as it was designed to do, works well. Four adults would be a bit of a squeeze, I reckon ... :-) Best regards, Ralph Ralph C. Hoehn Folding Boat Center P.O. Box 700 Enfield NH 03748 info_at_FoldingBoatCenter.com www.FoldingBoatCenter.com phone: +1-802-649-2555 -- Ralph phone: +1-603-632-9500 -- Alv (yup, they rhyme) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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