[Paddlewise] SOT's

Rob,
I had originally said:
>The latest issue of Canoe and Kayak has a good article by Rob Lyon about
SOT's being used along the west coast of Vancouver Island. His web site is:
http://lyonexpeditions.com/aboutus.html
Don't know about you guys, but SOT's still have a long way to go in terms of
R&D. Closed-deck kayaks still present a safety hazard too. Both statements
are true. What say you.<

You said in reply to the other Rob who has also responded (snip):

>I've paddled a variety of open kayaks off the BC coast for months at a
stretch, mostly solo, and know of what I speak.  The Tiger on this
particular journey was experimental, my baby for the month for the most
part, and not be a boat I would endorse for long distance ocean paddling,
but then this was an expeditional narrative, not a how-to piece.<

True enough some suppose. Tied together with your website though, one would
get the impression there was a certain zealousness with respect to your love
of SOT's that perhaps precludes balanced perspective, or at least laughs in
the face of modern sit-in-kayak mystique in a way designed to be
purposefully provocative; or perhaps even attempts to overtly
counter-balance the scales that weigh so heavily toward traditional
hard-shells and germane training schemes propagating throughout the
nation(s)
these days. Or it may be the way you stated that, if paddlers "were less
anal
about the boat and more psyched about the paddling" in reference to those
sexy-looking Kevlar touring kayaks" Yup, that would get some of us going.
:-)

I posted the query mostly as I was thinking about some recent kayak
fatalities, and moreover, my own desire to do some longer excursions on more
dangerous coastlines. I'd really like to see a SOT that paddled almost as
fast as a surf-ski, self-bailed, was available in custom composite lay-ups,
and had some real intrinsic seaworthiness -- both in terms of rough water
capability off headlands and long-term comfort for the daily grind. As I
cannot and would not seek outside- or for-hire-support, then gear capacity
and everyday accessibility/usability and watertightness of gear would also
be a major concern (this being an issue with some SOT's and not others). As
for your insurance underwriters, that must be an interesting set of
negotiations.

Having been to Brooks solo a number of times, and done the outside reefs of
Solander in afternoon hydraulics, and having dealt with serious offshore
winds off Brooks both solo and in group dynamics with some very fine, safe
paddlers despite early departure times after prudent staging, I'm a bit
sensitive to any cavalier attitude about choice of craft -- though in benign
conditions, I'm sure a Hemlock log would do. Fortunately, you have done the
outside of Morsby in your FG SOT, walk your talk, check out as A-plus with
my sources, and come across as a man with a more important mission that
exploiting SOT's for their economic potential -- namely that of simply
spreading the gospel of wilderness sojourning along the ocean corridor and
availing this opportunity to the hesitant. For that, you have my respect,
anyway. It will be interesting to see how your notions are further received
by the public and media.

And perhaps there will be some marked improvements in SOT's in the years to
come. There are tons of good fishing models, and a Tsunami ranger did our
coast in one of their SOT boats a couple of years back, no problem
(backchannel me for the copy). I still think there are major reason why _so
many_ paddlers choose sit-in kayaks for BC waters and I don't necessarily
believe it is market driven. The market develops what paddlers demand and
require and prefer. Personally, West Marine has just opened in Victoria, and
I'll be heading down to look at electric pump goodies. I love the sea, but
not in my cockpit. That's dangerous. My foot pump is difficult to use with
cramped legs. See you out there bro.

Doug Lloyd
Victoria BC

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"Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said
clearly should not be said at all."
Ludwig Wittgenstein
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