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BS: Kayak Questions
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Subject: BS: Kayak Questions From: Raptor Date: 07 Aug 06 - 10:31 AM Do you? What type? Which roof rack? Yakima or thule? Raptor |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Sorcha Date: 07 Aug 06 - 10:32 AM A person could die kyaking!!! *BG* |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 07 Aug 06 - 10:56 AM I kayak!!!!!! I have a Wilderness System Pungo 120, Mango. I do recreational kayaking for now and am working up to some small rapids. Thule for me, with a roller on the back for easier individual loading (my vehicle is really tall and I wanted to be able to take the kayak out of my own without needing assistance with loading all the time). How about you? Do you kayak? If you do, what kind? Thule? Yamika? Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: number 6 Date: 07 Aug 06 - 11:07 AM Kayaking is a very, very popular sport here in Southern New Brunswick ... especially sea kayaking ... I myslelf don't partake. Thule, do they make roof racks? I thought they just made those 'coffin' looking cargo boxes (that attach to roof racks) for skis and things. sIx |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 07 Aug 06 - 12:10 PM Thule and Yamika are at the top of the roof rack marketers! They make every configuration you can think of!!!! Not only that, but they have a great resale market should your roof rack system need updating (for a different or additional boat). Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Ebbie Date: 07 Aug 06 - 12:12 PM Here in Juneau, Alaska, many a vehicle all summer long is adorned atop with kayaks. There are many island destination, some not too far offshore, and some people just go out for the day. Some go out for several weeks. At my back door right now are two kayaks (one a double) and one canoe. I suspect that many Alaskans, faced with the decision of having offstreet vehicle parking or room for storing their kayaks would opt for the water gear. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 07 Aug 06 - 12:21 PM Ebbie, Do you get to go often? What kind of wildlife have you seen? Michelle who would LOVE to live in Alaska |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: GUEST,Janie Date: 07 Aug 06 - 12:34 PM Thule rack. We have a Pongo (shorter and beamier than a sea kayak but longer than a whitewater kayak), a 17' Chinook (single sea kayak), and a Frenzy sit-on-top surf kayak. All three of those are 'plastic' rotomold boats. We also have a double Folboat which is canvas on a wood frame that can be disassembled and bagged for air travel. We have had it for 20 years or more and I don't know if they are still made. We quite taking our's apart because it is a bear to assemble. Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Amos Date: 07 Aug 06 - 12:47 PM I have enjoyed the use until recently of a rotomold top-sitter surf version, which I just heist up on my existing Toyota roof rack and strap down. I would take it out at sunrise on the still waters of La Jolla, when the sea-birds were still dozing in rafts floating together. I have met several dolphins this way, as well as long distance swimmers of the human variety. For reasons I don't understand the birds and dolphins always seemed more exciting. A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: kendall Date: 07 Aug 06 - 01:03 PM There was an Eskimo who got very cold and lit a fire in the bottom of his kyak. Of course, it burned through the bottom and it sank. This proves an old saying, can anyone provide it? > > > > > Of course I know the answer. Do you? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 07 Aug 06 - 01:14 PM You can't have your kayak and heat it too!!!!!!!! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 07 Aug 06 - 01:16 PM There are quite a few companies that offer inflatable kayaks and ones that fold up for travel...I always wondered how well they worked. And have any of you ever attached a sail to your kayak? Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Rapparee Date: 07 Aug 06 - 04:40 PM I dunno...sitting in a boat made of sealskin with a seal gut gasket around you to keep the water out...seems pretty chancy to me. And wearing a walrus-gut parka with those hats!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Amos Date: 07 Aug 06 - 04:41 PM Most kayaks would blow to leeward in any kind of wind if they had a sail on them, unless they also had a centerboard rigged. A |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 07 Aug 06 - 06:26 PM I'm not sure how they rig them but I've seen them in some of the kayaking magazines. I've also seen ones where you make a sail that you can use on your paddle (the ones that come apart). Sounds kind of like some fun to me...maybe next summer I'll have to get one! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: EBarnacle Date: 07 Aug 06 - 06:34 PM My sailing kayak has a choice of leg of mutton and lug sails. It also has a leeboard and a custom rudder with a side mounted bellcrank. The choice of roof racks is strictly a matter of preference. I use Thule, Lady Hillary has Thule and Yakima. Both work. We have saddles in front and slide saddles in the rear. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Janie Date: 07 Aug 06 - 07:37 PM We had a sail and mast for the folboat. Even with the sideboards there was absolutely no upwind sailing, and they interferred seriously with paddling. We also weren't very good at sailing to begin with and spent a lot of time capsizing every time we tried to turn about. (Remind me tell a story about an F250 axle deep in mangrove muck because of the inability of the kayak to tack under sail.) We jerryrigged an outrigger using 2x4's to which we tied buoys to function as pontoons. Still lousy sailing, but we found we could mount a 4 horse power motor to it when we needed to get way out into the Florida Bay back country really fast. We looked absolutely absurd. We have had a lot of fun downwind sailing in the kayaks with kites. Inflatables are fun in certain conditions, but tend to catch the wind and don't track very well. Klepper used to make foldables that had excellent reviews--we never had the money. If you are thinking about one be sure to read up on reviews in kayak magazines and websites. Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 07 Aug 06 - 08:29 PM Kites and kayaks, now that sounds like an interesting idea too!!! If I ever did make/buy a sail for my kayak, it would be strictly for fun. I see multiple capsizes in my future..........LOL! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Rapparee Date: 07 Aug 06 - 09:13 PM South Bend, Indiana (of all places!) has a world-class whitewater kayaking course. They found an old millrace that had been filled in and created the course out of it. The US Olympic team has trained there. Some info here and here. (They do regulate the flow so that it's not all Class VII!) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: EBarnacle Date: 07 Aug 06 - 09:26 PM I went up to Lake Placid to pick up a couple of flat water kayaks from the USCKT...about 3 days after the trip they had a major earthquake in the neighborhood. Is correlation causation? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Nancy King Date: 08 Aug 06 - 11:40 AM I have two kayaks, actually, and the thought makes me laugh, as I have virtually no skill and even less courage. Both of them are kept at my cottage on Sebago Lake, Maine. There are also two other small boats there (a very large, heavy canoe and an aluminum rowboat equipped with an ancient 4.5 hp outboard), but I almost never use them, because I'm usually there alone and I can't manage to get them out of their storage place and into the water by myself. One of the kayaks is a small (10 feet, 40 pounds) Old Town kayak that I like very much. It's easy to paddle, and I can cover a surprising distance with minimal effort. I never go out when the water is rough (that lack of skill thing...), but when it's calm I really enjoy getting out on the water and exploring the shoreline. When I bought it, the marina folks tied it onto the top of my station wagon, but I've not had occasion to take it anywhere else and don't anticipate doing so. If I had to transport it overland, I'd probably put it inside the station wagon. The other one is a Klepper folding kayak that a family friend gave to my father 30 years ago or more. It's really an ingenious design (love that German engineering) with a wooden frame and rubberized canvas "skin," and rubber air chambers around the waterline to provide floatation. The advantage, of course, is that when disassembled and stuffed into its bags it can be stored in a relatively small space and transported easily. The advertising says the whole thing can be carried "easily" by one man. My Ex tried it once and said, "yeah, for about 10 feet..." With practice, it takes about 20-30 minutes to assemble, depending on whether you're rigging it for sailing. Yes, I do have the sail rig -- aluminum masts, nylon sails, a rudder which is controlled by foot pedals, and wooden leeboards. My Ex and I used it mostly for sailing, and it was really fun, though surely not the world's best sailboat. On the other hand, the world's best sailboat can't be stored in an apartment closet. I haven't had occasion to use the Klepper for a couple of years (a friend and I capsized it last time out...), but I'll probably hang on to it for a while yet. You can find out more about these remarkable craft here and here. Come visit me at my cottage and we'll take it out for a spin! Nancy |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: EBarnacle Date: 08 Aug 06 - 12:30 PM Being avoirdupois advantaged, I have never yet upset DAMFINO [the sailing kayak]. Part of the advantage of sailing a Klepper or other kayak is that you are aware of the boat's instability and make damn sure that you are on the side opposite the breeze. There is gear available from both Thule and Yakima to help lift the boat onto or off the rack. I recently saw a davit that can be incorporated into either system. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 08 Aug 06 - 09:39 PM Thule has a lift that will actually pick the kayak up and onto the roof of your vehicle, presto lifto, you're ready to go! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Janie Date: 08 Aug 06 - 10:28 PM I would guess that the kayak is the most versatile boat ever designed. Thank you tribes of the Far North! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 08 Aug 06 - 11:14 PM I was out this weekend with a friend who was trying out her brand new kayak for the first time. We weren't in the water for more than 20 minutes when a little fish jumped out of the water and over her paddle...we thought it was hilarious as our husbands were fishing and not catching a thing! Here's a link to a video (that hopefully works!) where an Orca lands on top of a kayaker...check it out....absolutely amazing (humming Weebles Wobble But They Don't Fall Down). Unbelieveable! Orca vs/ Kayaker Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: GUEST,KT Date: 09 Aug 06 - 01:23 AM Yakima, here! works just fine. Michele, one can see lots of wild life while kayaking here....whales, (humpbacks, orcas), sea lions, otters, porpoises, bears, eagles, and a variety of water fowl. Kendall, c'mon, you're kidding!!!!!! (Ahem.....) Although I DO know someone who set fire to a canoe......but that story will have to wait for another Old Songs..... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: GUEST,KingBrilliant Date: 09 Aug 06 - 05:52 AM Best flatwater racing kayak carriers in the UK are made by Roland Lawler of Elmbridge Canoe Club (also available from Marsport retail outlet). His new ones feature removable "V"s so that you can have the long bar permanently attached to your roof-bars, and just slot in the "V" (in which the boat rests) at each end when required. Brilliant! And essential if you have a low-ish garage door. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Rapparee Date: 09 Aug 06 - 08:55 AM Lots of kayaks out here in Idaho. People kayak the Snake River, which varies from dead flat to the "interesting" water in Hell's Canyon (don't!) and the Salmon River (again, flat to "interesting" to "Oh, My GOD!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"). There are also some nice reservoirs, like the one at American Falls, and lakes, like Pend d'Oreille and Coeur d'Alene. Well, yeah, KT, I guess so!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 22 Aug 06 - 07:53 PM Hi Everybody, For those of you who kayak, do you take any photos while you are on the water? I've been using a Kodak Waterproof Disposable camera but the results are not what I was hoping for (even though I KNOW it's a cheap camera...the quality is far worse than what I thought it would be). Recently I've been packing my Canon AE-1 in a dry bag and using that. Since opening and taking out the camera and closing the dry sack takes time and is somewhat noisy, often the wildlife photos I am after are long gone or my boat as drifted, etc. So..I've taken to hanging the camera around my neck with the zoom tucked down in my life jacket. What kinds of cameras have you used? How do you go about keeping your camera safe and dry? I'm still a beginner kayaker and I don't care how many drip rings I have, some water in the yak is inevitable!!!! I'd appreciate any and all of your ideas! Thanks! Michelle PS. The Olympus Stylus is on my wishlist....it's waterproof but not within my budget at the moment so I'm trying to make do! :) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: snarky Date: 22 Aug 06 - 09:04 PM Look at "January on the Wacissa" These were done with a Nikon Coolpix 885. Not fancy but easy to carry... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Dave (the ancient mariner) Date: 22 Aug 06 - 09:15 PM Kayaking is a rewarding and wonderful recreational activity. Please consider my advice (39 years marine industry, 22 years Coast Guard 20 years of them in Search and Rescue) 1: Take training for the different environments you will use your kayak in. Rivers, lakes, Rapids, Ocean. 2: Always file a route plan and sail plan with a reliable person with instructions to call SAR if you miss communications or Destination on time. 3: Don't get fatigued, if you are middle aged remember you cannot do what you did when you were 25 years old. unless you "really" are fit. 4: Cold water kills, wear a lifejacket that will float you face up, with a light and a whistle attached as well as a good helmet with retro reflective tape on it. 5: You can go places the Coast Guard cannot go with their boats; on the ocean, carry and use a battery operated VHF marine radio. (we can Direction Find you even in thick fog, cel phones do not have that capability and are unreliable in certain locations) 6: Boats cannot see you or pick you up on radar at night or in fog, there are some small inexpensive radar reflectors that can fold up and stow away easily when not needed; show a light. 7: There is a new type of laser flare that is worth carrying check it out online. 8: Expensive but worth it Personal Locator Beacon 406 Mhz part of the Global Cospas/Sarsat satelite SAR system. 9: Travel with experenced kayakers, in a group for support and rescue. 10: Rescuing a kayaker in the sitting position is very difficult alongside a high freeboard boat, especially if they are fatigued or hypothermic. better to roll them into a zodiac or liferaft and then get them aboard. practise this in calm weather and you will see what i mean. 11: Have fun and i hope you never need SAR. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: snarky Date: 22 Aug 06 - 09:27 PM that's excellent advice dave... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: GUEST,LynnT Date: 22 Aug 06 - 10:06 PM I am out on the water at least half a day most weekends with my six-foot-six sweetie Richard either in kayaks or these days in an 18-foot red Royalex Mad River canoe we picked up from Craigslist. I stand five feet tall if you stretch a point, and it's easier to keep up with him on the water than on the hiking trail -- especially when we're in the same boat. And there are so many wonderful places to kayak around the DC area, from local rivers to the Chesapeake. One of our first dates was a flat-water kayaking trip to Gunpowder Creek, not far from Ramblewood, the (old) site of the FSGW Getaway. This was my first time ever in a kayak. He sped along in the elegant wooden Chesapeake Light Craft Greenlander he'd built several years before (it's painted mud-green/brown for swamp camoflage) while I struggled to keep up in his spare boat, a plastic Zydeco Dagger, a fat little thing intended for river work. It was like riding a Shetland pony and trying to keep up with a racehorse. I capsized it, too, when I got cocky and tried to push my paddle way down to see how deep the water was. Of course the corks in either end weren't properly secured, so the Zydeco immediately filled up with water. But both air and water were warm, and I guess it was a good sign to Richard that I laughed it off -- it was a good sign to me that he didn't get mad at me, either, especially since he lost a pair of neoprene gloves in the capsize. We've now been living together for about two years, and I have my own kayak, a mango-colored rotomolded Current Breeze -- "Pumpkin" is sort of a quarter horse, to carry the equine analogy -- intended for fishing and birdwatchers, she can go fast for short distances, but is more stable and forgiving than Richard's temperamental Greenlander. She does "weathercock" pretty badly in any sort of wind, though. We've done the three-hour paddle from Annapolis to Kent Island (along the path of the Bay Bridge) a couple times, and even did an afternoon trip from the MD side of the Potomac over to Dogue Creek (near Mt Vernon) one fall afternoon to fish for snakeheads -- didn't catch any, but it was a lovely paddle. One goal is to put in at the upper navigable end of the Patuxent River, and take the requisite two days to paddle all the way down to its end at the Chesapeake near Solomon Islands. Maybe next year? We've rigged a small sail to the canoe/kayaks, but it's more fun to fly a parafoil -- like a kite but it can really pull us along. Lynn |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 22 Aug 06 - 10:20 PM Snarky....nice photos! How many pixels is that? Price range? Thanks! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Joe Offer Date: 23 Aug 06 - 12:04 AM We live across the freeway from the North Fork of the American River, but I'm afraid to try it. We use our canoe and kayaks in lakes and slow rivers. We bought two Old Town Otter (not Offer) kayaks. The first time I tried one, my back was bad for three months; so I haven't used it since. I think the problem is that there are no foot rests, so all the strain of paddling goes to my lower back. Are there foot rests I can add to molded plastic kayaks? We bought the Subaru kayak rack, and I don't remember if it's made by Thule or Yakima. It's a U-shaped bracket that bolts onto the cartop carrier, and then you strap the kayak to the outside of the "U" - unless it falls off before you get the straps in place. I don't see the rack available any more, so maybe other people agreed that the rack is hopeless. I taught canoeing at a summer camp during college, so it's my canoe I love. -Joe- |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: dianavan Date: 23 Aug 06 - 02:39 AM To each his own. I will take a canoe if nothing else is available but I prefer the stability of a kayak. I can't give advice to which is best because I've never owned one. I just borrow from friends on the island when I visit. I kayak in the Straight of Georgia and the waves and the chop can be very challenging (not to mention the wind) but I've never been afraid in a kayak. The canoe, however, is much more difficult to manuever than the kayak. Lilyfestre - Great video! Its a good idea to drum on the bottom of your boat if Orcas are in the area. They won't hurt you if they know you are there. In fact, they will try to avoid you. first rule for kayakers - Learn how to flip yourself back into it if it should capsize. I've never had to do this but at least I know I can do it if I have to. Once you know how to do that, you can go anywhere. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 23 Aug 06 - 07:34 AM Joe, I believe you should be able to have foot pedals added. I'm sorry to hear that yours hurts your back...were you able to try your kayak out before you bought it? Also, they definately make adjustable seats should you wish to have your seat changed! A friend of mine just bought herself an Old Town Diringo (sp?) but she hadn't tried out the boat before she bought it...she had tried mine and a Perception Swifty...she loved the Pungo and hated the Swifty so why she didn't try out the Old Town is beyond me as the shop not only has space there to try out the boat but you can take one home and try it too. I think she liked this particular boat because it has a built in space for your fishing rod (although these can be added to any boat). Luckily for her, she loves her boat. It came with pedals and an adjustable seat and I'm happy for her that she likes it as much as she does...we were worried! About the J hooks, I see them all over the place, especially where a vehicle has 2 yaks on top. I may have to get one myself next spring as my husband is now wanting a kayak! I once took an outdoor class while I was in college. We had to do things like horseback riding, setting up tents while blindfolded, orienteering and our final was a 3 day canoe trip down the Brown River in Rhode Island. I had never been in a canoe before. I liked it well enough but I do think they are far less stable than the kayak. I also like the kayak better for it's ability to poke around the edges of the water where all the wildlife can be found. The canoe does have more room for gear and (unless you have a tandem kayak) room for a friend. :) Both are fun and the important thing, no matter if you have a kayak or a canoe, is that you are out enjoying the world. :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Janie Date: 23 Aug 06 - 11:50 AM Joe, Do you have an REI store near you? There are two stores in our area, and we find their staff to be very expert and very helpful with questions such as "can I modify this boat" regardless of whether we purchased it there or not. I think some rotomold boats are more easily retro-fitted than others. Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Janie Date: 23 Aug 06 - 11:54 AM You might also try playing with the seat adjustment. Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Bill D Date: 23 Aug 06 - 03:49 PM at the Getaway, in the group of non-singers in the back, we often have Carter Hearn, whose kids have been high in serious international kayak competition...including Olympic teams. Carter once gave demos...including Eskimo rolls...at a Getaway. He and his wife, Ursy Potter, go all over the world to try 'interesting' rapids. I wish I had known them when I was young enough to get started....canoes is my limit. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 23 Aug 06 - 06:20 PM Hi Bill, I found that on Google, there is a new icon on the toolbar for videos. If you type in kayak, you will see all kinds of crazy kayaking...waterfalls and rock gardens. Some of the rock gardens look like fun but I haven't lost that much of my mind to try it yet! I'm working on the riffles!!!! :) There's one video on there called the Kayakers Casualty Club...I think that says it all...bunch of crazy folks!!!! :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: GUEST,LynnT Date: 23 Aug 06 - 06:26 PM Bill, you and Rita -- and Dariol (sp?) too - are of course welcome to join us on the water any weekend you like -- the current Squirrelheim flotilla (3 kayaks and the "Big Red Bus" canoe) can put six human "bottoms" out on the water at a time. Do you prefer straight paddling or would you like to come fishing? (there's a song in that somewhere...) We haven't tried Lake Needham up the road from you yet; our faves are Gunpowder Creek, Sandy Point (closed now for pollution), the Pax River near Bowie or if we must Jug Bay. There was a good Wash Post article yesterday on paddling the North Branch of the Potomac, but I think I'll wait til the resulting crowds die down before heading up there. Both the Zydeco and the Breeze have footrests along the sides; the Breeze's are adjustable. They keep the leg fairly well bent, knees pressed against the inside of the boat, and I understand the paddler is to push into the foot on the opposite side to the one the paddle is dipping on for stability/to engage the core muscles into the stroke. So maybe your yak has pedals/footrests, but smaller and in a different location than you expect? I had to add chunks of 2 X 4 to the face of my footrests before I could reach them properly, but most folks have longer legs than I do. Also, some yaks I tried had true pedals that adjusted a skeg or rudder via foot pressure; I didn't like those as well... LynnT |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Willie-O Date: 24 Aug 06 - 11:11 AM I have a Clearwater St Lawrence (15' 6"), roto-molded, pretty inexpensive (made in Prince Edward County Ontario) which replaced my old Folbot kit boat a couple of years ago. This year I also picked up a used R=5 for my 16-year-old son who enjoys going on day paddles with me. (A great way to pry him off the computer). We just got back from New Brunswick where we enjoyed Passamaquoddy Bay, St Martin's (really neat red cliffs full of caves), and Minas Basin (on the Nova Scotia side of Fundy). Closer to home we go out on some of the larger lakes in our area, but if I have time I drive down to Kingston to get some of those Lake Ontario swells under my skeg. That Orcas video was remarkable...could it have been faked? What seemed odd to me was, OK the whale surfaced, breached, and whacked the bow? of the kayak...then the kayak disappeared completely for several seconds--seemed down a long time, then he emerges and calmly rolls upright. That paddler has a well-fitted spray skirt and a bombproof roll. What was he doing down there--chatting with Willy? As for roof racks, I don't have deep pockets for those Thules. There is another maker called Frontier, sold at Canadian Tire, and their Sportrack is half the price of Thule and works fine. The crossbars are identical in dimensions to the Thule ones, so I think you could use their accessories on a Thule or vice versa. The J-style Thule kayak holders look real handy but, again, pricey, and a set for each boat. I've priced out the self-loading gizmos Michelle mentions and while I can see (and feel) the attraction, talk about sticker shock! When you start with a $600 boat (factory second), spending more than that on roof hardware isn't likely to happen. It's interesting that you see so many more kayaks on cars than on the water...guess that's what makes classy roof-rack setups important. Hey Joe, my St Lawrence has not only footrests (standard equipment on most kayaks) but also an inflatable back rest (pumped up with a hand-held squeezebulb. You should ask for one of those! Get out on the water by any means available! W-O |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 24 Aug 06 - 02:47 PM Yeah, those self loading gizmos are RIDICULOUS in price and I don't think I could ever justify one for myself BUT I do have a 60 year old female friend who wouldn't be able to kayak if she had to top load it herself...and for HER, I think such a cost would be justified. I was shocked at the price of roof racks too but I know the Thule has a great resale value should I ever change vehicles. It is also very adaptable to other units and configurations, plus it goes on easy and comes off easy for winter storage. If my vehicle was closer the ground, I'd be off with foam blocks...they always worked for the canoe so why not a kayak? As far as kayaks on cars...I suppose if I drove by the water all the time, I'd see far more kayaks but sadly, I don't get to be near the water every day. :( I imagine it's that way for many folks! Sounds like you had a great trip! Did you see any interesting wildlife? Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: EBarnacle Date: 24 Aug 06 - 03:27 PM Kayaks are not really more stable than canoes. They are, however, more recoverable. A closed hull takes on less water than an open one. In a kayak, you are pretty much stuck with the position of the seat. In a canoe, you can change your position for comfort or to meet changes in conditions. Canoes are also more flexible, in that you can load several people or one or carry significant cargo INSIDE the boat. I have rolled many kayaks but never yet turtled or filled a canoe. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 24 Aug 06 - 05:50 PM EB, I'd say that depends entirel on the type of kayak. I can rock my kayak for all it's worth and would be hard pressed to tip it. My canoe is an entirely different story. Loading up with gear, you can defineately get more gear in the canoe...but for day trips, give me a kayak!!! Michelle who finds it funny that even in the boating magazines there is a very distinct line drawn between kayakers and canoers...both loyal to their boat of choice. I say, who cares? Get out and have fun!!! :) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Janie Date: 24 Aug 06 - 06:15 PM Do I remember correctly that in some places (maybe the Pacific coast of Canada) they use the term canoe for what the rest of us call a kayak? Regarding 'canoe' canoes, I think canoes require a greater level of skill to handle, but if you have that skill they are pretty stable (in flat water anyway.) I also think that people who love canoes are 'boat' lovers as well as outdoors people. Those of us content with the kayaks tend to have a more purely utilitarian regard for boats. Have any of you ever read John McPhee's Survival of the Bark Canoe? Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 24 Aug 06 - 06:24 PM Here's a question for you kayakers out there.... If you were going on a full day trip on mostly flat water, what are the four things you would take (assuming you have a bilge pump, life jacket, sunscreen and all safety necessities)? For me: 1. Partially frozen bottled water 2. Polarized sunglasses 3. Camera 4. Binoculars How about you? Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: Janie Date: 24 Aug 06 - 06:32 PM I would include the water as a safety item, as well as some food. Hat waterproof/resistant longsleeved jacket binoculars river sandals or similar footgear (insect repellant) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Kayak Questions From: LilyFestre Date: 24 Aug 06 - 06:41 PM Ok, if water is a safety item then I get to add one more to my list, right? I'm taking a hat! Hmmm...I think water shoes are a safety item and the insect repellent too...what else would you take? LOL...I can see this is going to be a challenge....*GRIN* Michelle |
