Marcia, I just realized your post said the Elan didn't have any bulkheads. From my reply, you will see I was thinking the Elan had a rear bulkhead. Anyway, as a paddler with a boat that has bulkheads (three in my case) I can attest that stress-riser fractures are a reality. For me, however, I just would never be able to put up with the hassles of any other system, especially as the bulkhead/hatch route gives me (from my perception anyway), maximum storage. Doug Lloyd (sorry for mess-up, feeling a bit challenged these days) Victoria BC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ "Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said clearly should not be said at all." Ludwig Wittgenstein ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Hi Marcia. I am the proud owner of an Elan. I ordered mine with a rear hatch and bulkhead to make dumping out water easier whilst practicing. And since I live in northern New Mexico, which is a very dry climate, I usually leave the hatch cover on for weeks at a time, with no evidence of mold! Matt Broze of Mariner is a member of this list, so no doubt he will have lots more to say on the matter of bulkheads, and there is lots of information at their website as well. Good luck! merlin At 10:42 AM 7/20/2003, you wrote: >In my search for a new kayak I'm considering the Mariner Elan. It doesn't >appear to be available with bulkheads. I've never had a boat without >bulkheads and wonder about the pros and cons of them. I mostly paddle day >trips, but occasionally do one or two week expeditions. >Convenience is important to me...if it's a hassle, I would be less likely >to go out as often. That's my concern about a boat without bulkheads. > > >Marcia Tauber *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Doug why do you think having bulkheads gives you more storage space. It would seem to me that bulkheads would break up space and might reduce what you could get to fit. At first thought it would seem to me that without bulkheads you would have the entire space from just behind the seat to rear and from just in front of footpegs to the front for storage. Am I missing some limitation to the system without bulkheads? > For me, however, I just > would never be able to put up with the hassles of any other system, > especially as the bulkhead/hatch route gives me (from my perception anyway), > maximum storage. > > Doug Lloyd (sorry for mess-up, feeling a bit challenged these days) > Victoria BC > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mark J. Arnold *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
(reposted with headers, etc, removed -DL) Mark said (snip) > Doug why do you think having bulkheads gives you more storage space. It would seem to me that bulkheads would break up space and might reduce what you could get to fit. At first thought it would seem to me that without bulkheads you would have the entire space from just behind the seat to rear and from just in front of footpegs to the front for storage. Am I missing some limitation to the system without bulkheads?< I was thinking more along the lines that a floatation bag that doubles as a large gear bag might not have the same apparent volume as the usual bulkheaded compartment where one stuffs smaller individual bags into. I guess it depends how well the bag fits the inner contours of the compartment in question. As for bulkhead location, yes, the way a lot of them are installed, positionally, leaves some loss of volume -- though certain paddlers find that bit of space beneficial for in-cockpit accessible items (though I had a devil of a time retaining stuff behind the set when I'd bailed after a surf capsize.I tried bungies, nets, and other methods, eventually moving the bulkhead to where I wanted it. Doug Lloyd Victoria BC *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:34 PDT