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All things paddling

eamo · 140 · 5875

nz Offline Syncop8r

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #30 on: July 28, 2018, 04:17:20 AM
 :sa:  :dd:

:nanadance: :nanadance: :nanadance:
« Last Edit: July 28, 2018, 05:17:09 AM by Syncop8r »


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #31 on: August 08, 2018, 01:48:43 PM
While cleaning out my cargo box yesterday to re-attach it to my trailer properly I decided to take some photos of my equipment for this thread.



First up are my kayak carts.  These are invaluable for transporting a kayak (or canoe) and they fold like a 70's lawn chair so they are easy to take along with you.  These are both Wheeleez brand carts.  I have seen others, but these are the only ones I have used and I am very happy with them.  The nice thing about them is that the wheels (pictured below) are not only removable, they are also replaceable.  I have the all terrain tires, but there are also ultra wide tires for going across soft sand.  I've never felt the need to get them, but I like having the option.



I've put an awful lot of mileage on these carts and appreciated having them every time.  There have been times that I left them behind and really regretted it.   :facepalm:

My only real complaint about them is that they don't fit in the hold of a kayak and have to be strapped to the deck, which can be a pain in the arse.



This is my Fox 40 safety kit.  It should contain a flashlight, signaling device, bailing device and a floating rope, but it doesn't.  The flashlight was a cheap incandescent that died almost immediately, the signalling device is a reflective bit inside the cap, the bailing device is the bucket everything is contained in and the rope is.... well, it's a rope.  In Canada one of these kits is required for each boat, but I accidentally left one in my parent's boat, so I will have to get a replacement or risk the $250 fine for not having it if I get caught.  The kits retail for about $10, so I'll probably pick up a couple of new ones this week.



This one isn't so much a piece of paddling equipment as support for the paddling equipment.  It's a silicone desiccant pack and I keep four of them in the cargo box.  It makes sense, as many things are likely to be wet when put away, and I don't want my stuff to get moldy.  As my cargo box is 250 litres and each rechargeable pack is good for 80 litres, I have four of them that I keep in the box at all times, except for ow as I have them in the house to recharge them in the oven.



This is one of many waterproof boxes that I have along for the ride.  It is currently used for holding extra R pins for the kayak carts.  R pins are used to quickly clip the wheels on, and are frequently lost, so I carry spares just in case.  In fact, I think I will need to get a few more soon, as I am running low.  This particular box is a GSI Extra Small Lex model in orange.  I have to say that I wasn't overly thrilled with this one when compared to Otter or Pelican boxes.  The plastic seems more brittle and the clips that hold it closed aren't as easy to use as the Pelicans and Otters, which is why it stays in the box and holds spare equipment instead of going on the boat and holding wallet, phone, keys, cameras etc.

Speaking of boxes....



This is my big Plano waterproof box, and I've been using this one for years.  It is uber cheap and not always the most waterproof box, so it has also been relegated to spare carrying rather than actual use.  It was $25-30 at Canadian Tire and it's bigger than the Pelican 1150 box that I have which is almost $100.  There's a good reason for that- this one is is kind of flimsy and the steep bars that hold the three clips on fall out from to time.   :facepalm:



Inside I keep some wiring, spare bolts, nuts and washers and wrenches for trailer and equipment repair, spare rope and other random bits and pieces just in case.  It is here that I have decided to keep my new wrenches.



Next post is the paddles... buckle up, that is the long bit!

Def
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ie Offline eamo

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #32 on: August 08, 2018, 02:28:32 PM
nice one Grant
It is never too late to be what you might have been - George Eliot


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #33 on: August 08, 2018, 02:51:24 PM
These are my fastest paddles.  Many of you will be wondering how one set of paddles can be faster than another, but there are serious differences that affect performance. 



These are Cannon Wave paddles and are generally considered best for whitewater.  They are a fiberglass shaft and polymer blades, and, as you can see, the blades are short and broad so they move a lot of water, and, just as important, the shaft is also very short which encourages a high angle stroke, which generally equals more power.  This type of paddling is faster, but also more tiring, which is why it is great for whitewater as it gives lots of control and speed for short periods.  It's not great for longer trips as you get wiped out a lot faster.  As you can see, these have been (messily) repaired after the fiberglass split on me in the middle of the lake and I lost a paddle blade.  I was able to recover it and some fiberglass tape and epoxy fixed it right up.  It looks terrible, but they work well, and that's what matters.



These Aquabound paddles are the complete opposite of the Waves.  They are also a fiberglass shaft and a polymer blade, but the shaft and blades are significantly longer.  The blades are also narrower, meaning these push a lot less water.  The longer shaft encourages a low angle paddle which saves a lot of energy, which, coupled with the narrow blade means this paddle is much, much slower, but great for long distance paddling, since it means that you are not exhausting yourself.  I actually carried these as spare paddles a few times, and at one point one paddle half was swept off my boat and into the ocean.  As I was concentrating on not being dead, I hadn't noticed the loss of the paddle until I was safely on shore and packing up.  I was pretty bummed, but at Paddlefest the next year they coincidentally had a matching paddle half.  I don't think it was my original since I lost it on the opposite side of the province, but it was an amazing stroke of luck to find the exact paddle half I'd lost!



These Aquabound paddles are very similar to the black ones above, only not quite as long, and they don't have a cool story to go along with them like the black ones.  :D



I have two almost identical sets of these, and they are Megan's favorite to use.  These Accent brand paddles are all carbon fiber, which means they are super strong and remarkably lightweight.  They are the lightest paddles I have since both have shafts and blades made of carbon fiber.  Both of these put together weigh less than any other single set of paddles i have, and almost feel like there's nothing there at all.  I love these paddles too, and, since Megan usually uses one set, I usually bring the other set along as spares.  Why do I need spares?  Re-read the section above where I say I broke a paddle blade off in the middle of a lake once... always bring at least one set of spare paddles, because a long walk home is made much longer when you have to drag a boat with you.



These are mu favorite paddles- they are also Accent paddles and have a carbon shaft and polymer blades.  What sets these apart is that they are bent shaft paddles, which are not only more ergonomic, but also add about an inch to your paddle stroke.  They are a lot less common than the straight shaft paddles, and despite being technically better, not everyone likes them.  This is my second set of bent shaft paddles.  I lost one half of my first set a few years ago and I was devastated, as it was due to stupidity and not a legitimate accident like when I lost the paddle half in the story above.  Luckily I managed to come across these ones shortly afterwards for an excellent price.  They were brand new, but had been slightly damaged in shipping- you can see the tip of the blade was snapped off, and so I picked them up for a fraction of what they should have cost.  The chip doesn't really affect the way they paddle so I've been paddling with them as is, although I do have many other paddles that I could swap blades on if it ever started to bother me.  I do manage to have a little fun with it though, as I have convinced my nephews that the tip of my paddle was bitten off by a shark while paddling in the ocean.  :D

I have a few other paddles as well, but these are the ones that I usually bring with me, even though the carbon fiber and bent shaft paddles are the only ones that regularly get used.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


mc Offline Gerhard Gerber

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #34 on: August 08, 2018, 03:27:14 PM
That's quite a setup......as it should be!  :salute:


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #35 on: August 08, 2018, 04:25:11 PM
That's quite a setup......as it should be!  :salute:

It's worth mentioning that most of this is the result of buying second hand, bargain hunting and costs spread over many years.  Not counting the trailer, I am well over $10k replacement costs for two boats and the equipment kept in the cargo box.  I have a lot less than that actually invested in it though.

The carbon fiber paddles and bent shaft are all worth about $400 each, but I got them for less than $100 each by looking for ones with minor damage and getting them at liquidation pricing.  The fiberglass paddles are worth around $150-200 each, but some were bought for as little as $10 because they were rental units being liquidated.  My fiberglass boat was also heavily damaged when I bought it- new it goes for about $3200, I bought it for $275 ten years ago.  Even counting the $$ I am spending on it to repair it, it is still well below market value.  Megan's boat cost me less than $1000 because I bought it for $800 on sale, instead of the $1200 it was originally going for.  There was no damage to it, it was just an end of season sale.

I am proud of the stuff I have, as I believe I have a pretty good setup, and my biggest worry is that it will all be stolen or damaged at some point and I will have to replace it all at real costs rather than what I paid for things.  Much of what you see above was slowly upgraded from cheaper equipment as I found deals on things- for example, I started with a paddle that had an aluminum shaft and polymer blades and they weighed a ton.  I also started with a standard neoprene life jacket, which, under normal circumstances would be extremely comfortable but rides up in a kayak and restricts movement.  I also paddled for years without a safety kit....  :facepalm:

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #36 on: August 08, 2018, 05:00:49 PM
Here are a few pics of some of the Lamontagne Fleet.





The yellow/orange one is the Point 65 XO13 that Megan usually paddles.  When I got it, it had gas pedal style foot pedals to control the rudder, but with my messed up ankles, the gas pedal style doesn't work for me.  The gas pedal style rotates around a pivot point, so I changed it to L style brackets that push back and forth.  Those are a simpler, cheaper options and not a lot of manufacturers offer them any more as they seem pretty basic.

The blue and white one is my father's Riot Tourlite 15, a thermoformed plastic skin on frame design similar to my big fiberglass boat.  Instead of fiberglass (or kevlar or carbon fiber etc) the Tourlite uses a plastic sheet that is heated and moulded over a frame to create a multi chine hull for added stability.  The design didn't last long, likely because of the expense of making it, but makes for a nice boat that combines the (almost) lightweight factor of fiberglass and the added resiliency of the plastic, which is less brittle than fiberglass.  Unfortunately it is a bigger pain in the arse to repair than fiberglass so you have to be really careful with it.  The skin on frame design allows for a much sharper keel, which you notice when paddling in rougher water.  This boat, like my big fiberglass one, tends to punch through waves and pop out smoothly on the other side, while the rotomoulded plastic boats have a flatter hull that tends to go over the waves instead of through them.

Speaking of rotomoulded boats, like the Point 65 boat above, the green one is my brother's rotomoulded plastic Current Designs Whistler 14.  It's a nice boat with a rudder and is a bit more compact than the Point 65, despite being a foot longer.  The forward deck is a lot lower, while the Point 65 deck feels like it was moulded with a beach ball in the cockpit.  My brother also has an MEC (Mountain Equipment Co Op) Aegir deck bag.  I originally got one for my own kayak, but it got in my way more than it helped, so I gave it to my father, who liked it so much that he also got one for my brother.  :D

Rotomould boats are usually stronger and more stable than skin on frame designs, but they unfortunately weigh almost twice as much due to the thickness of the plastic.  In fact, my 17 foot boat weighs in around 40 pounds, while the Point 65 13 foot boat weighs 52 pounds.  The flip side is that a fiberglass boat costs 2-3 times as much as a rotomoulded one, and a kevlar of CF boat can be double that of a fiberglass one.



These are also part of the Lamontagne Fleet- a trio of Pelicans, made by the same folks that do the Pelican boxes, flashlights etc.  The Canoe is a Pelican Explorer 14.6 DLX and included moulded in seats and cargo box/center seat.  It is a nice, robust boat that suffers from being quite heavy.  I have paddled this boat and I like it a lot, although this isn't one you want to paddle by yourself due to the weight.

The red and white one is a Pelican Summit 100, a ten foot molded plastic boat using Pelican's proprietary RAM-X plastic that is surprisingly strong despite it's thinness.  It has no frame- it is just two molded halves heat sealed together and weights all of about 35 pounds.  It's short, being only ten feet long but is also remarkably wide, making it super stable.  I have one just like it in my garage in Halifax that I picked up brand new from Canadian Tire for under $300.  This particular one belongs to my older nephew.

The blue one is an older version of the Summit, made from a thicker plastic and is a rotomould.  It is also the boat that is responsible for all of the other boats in the Fleet.  This is the boat my father started paddling in, when friends visited with a pair of them.  He tried it and liked it, then when they decided to upgrade, sold him this one, which he paddled for a couple of years before upgrading to the Riot.  My brother and I paddled this Pelican for years until I got my big fiberglass boat and my brother got the Whistler.  Then I got the Point 65, my brother's wife wanted the canoe and so on and so on.  My younger nephew now paddles this boat, and is a lot more interested in paddling than his older brother.

These are inexpensive boats, good for farting around at the cottage, but are not so good for actually covering any distance.  They are short and wide and track terribly compared to every other boat in the Fleet.  They are stable though, which is great as both boys like to stand up in them and jump off them to go swimming.  When the boys get older I have no doubt they will graduate to bigger boats, but at this point they are still unable to keep up with the rest of us on the longer trips the rest of us like to go on.

I hope to add another canoe to the mix soon.  I am looking for a decent deal on an old Sports Pal canoe, which is a Canadian brand built not far from here in a city called North Bay.  They make them out of aluminum and the boats are extremely light- a 12 foot aluminum canoe will weigh as little as 35 pounds!  And, they are very resistant to puncture, but when you do, there is a proud Canadian tradition of repairing them with tree sap and beer cans.  :D

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline ThundahBeagle

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #37 on: August 13, 2018, 09:00:06 PM
Some nice equipment here.

Im running some rather simple equipment and gear, really. A 10 foot Wilderness Systems Pamlico, or a 9.5 foot Islander Swifty. They are both about 10 years old and have been repaired with an old Frisbee and a heat gun. An Extra Sport life vest, and some Field & Stream branded paddles. I keep a rope with me, a knife, and whatever I need for lunch and water. I usually just cruise, sometimes blast to one side of a lake and back, sometimes I fish. Scout the ThunderBeagle has been known to accompany me, and I keep him clipped to a harness which is clipped to the seat. He likes to stand at the bow scouting for seabirds or watching for other dogs and animals along the shore, and will alternately jump in and then ask to be hoisted out of the drink.


us Offline ThundahBeagle

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #38 on: August 13, 2018, 09:01:24 PM
Kayaks on the Jeep WJ a little late in the season...
2018-04-16 12.58.10.jpg
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us Offline ThundahBeagle

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #39 on: August 13, 2018, 09:01:53 PM
^^^ Wasn't ready to give up for the season...


se Offline kottskrapa

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #40 on: August 14, 2018, 10:43:30 AM
Looking good! I have similar kayakholders on my wj

Here are some pics from yesterday's trip paddling around in Gothenburg



Through an amusement park







[It's not failure if you learn something from it]



ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #41 on: August 14, 2018, 01:01:02 PM
Great pics guys!

As for being too late in the season, be careful, I got my boats out too early this year and winter wasn't quite done with us....  :ahhh





Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline ThundahBeagle

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #42 on: August 15, 2018, 04:49:13 PM
Looking good! I have similar kayakholders on my wj

Here are some pics from yesterday's trip paddling around in Gothenburg

(Image removed from quote.)

Through an amusement park

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

[It's not failure if you learn something from it]

Nice gear, Kotts! And what an enchanting place in which to be paddling!

Yeah, my WJ has done well by me. A lot of people don't know that they have the same motor and same Dana 35c and Dana 30 axles that were in the CJ and Wranglers all the way up to 2006. So when wrangler driver look askance at my ride, I like to remind them I have the same power and gearing they have, with more passenger and storage, and more tow capacity.

I originally wanted an XJ, but settled on this. I like it

This very day, I am installing Iron Rock Off Road 2 inch lift springs, with new isolators, new Pro Comp shocks, and new Moog anti sway bar links. We will see what it needs from there.

I'm stoked about it


us Offline ThundahBeagle

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #43 on: August 15, 2018, 04:51:47 PM
Great pics guys!

As for being too late in the season, be careful, I got my boats out too early this year and winter wasn't quite done with us....  :ahhh

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

Def

Nice one, Def. We seem that much more rugged (or daft) to the rest of the world when they see our kayaks with frost and icicles on them


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #44 on: August 15, 2018, 09:12:23 PM
Sometimes winter makes me wonder what the hell I am doing here too....

But that only lasts between December and April....   :facepalm:

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


se Offline kottskrapa

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #45 on: August 16, 2018, 07:25:01 AM
Looking good! I have similar kayakholders on my wj

Here are some pics from yesterday's trip paddling around in Gothenburg

(Image removed from quote.)

Through an amusement park

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

[It's not failure if you learn something from it]

Nice gear, Kotts! And what an enchanting place in which to be paddling!

Yeah, my WJ has done well by me. A lot of people don't know that they have the same motor and same Dana 35c and Dana 30 axles that were in the CJ and Wranglers all the way up to 2006. So when wrangler driver look askance at my ride, I like to remind them I have the same power and gearing they have, with more passenger and storage, and more tow capacity.

I originally wanted an XJ, but settled on this. I like it

This very day, I am installing Iron Rock Off Road 2 inch lift springs, with new isolators, new Pro Comp shocks, and new Moog anti sway bar links. We will see what it needs from there.

I'm stoked about it
Some pics when done I hope?

[It's not failure if you learn something from it]



scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #46 on: August 16, 2018, 04:45:15 PM
Some excellent stuff here folks.  Grant pointed out this thread (great run down on the paddles BTW mate) and I though I should add some pics of my own.
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Be excellent to each other and always know where your towel is.


ie Offline eamo

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #47 on: August 16, 2018, 05:50:46 PM
I'm pretty new to paddling only started a few years ago. Pictured below is my "fleet" - 3 x Dagger Stratos 14.5s


These boats were all bought new as second hand paddling gear is like hens teeth here. Why did I choose this particular boat ?
Well, ideally I'd love a nice 17 footer expedition type sea boat - not gonna happen mostly cos I can't afford one  :D. I choose the dagger for a few reasons - i've used their river boats and liked them, found them to be good quality; because of finances I was constrained to getting a touring boat and the dagger seemed the best bang for my buck. Finally, the first one I got (the yellow one) i got a real good deal on. It is relatively small (14.5 foot) but handles very nice, has quite a rocker so is maneuverable but that in turn impacts it's handling over long distances. However, most of my paddling now days is day trips. It is light (about 25kg) so I can put it on the roof of my van by myself.
The yellow one is mine.

Link to the manufacturer - https://www.dagger.com/eu/en/kayaks/stratos-145-s

Also pictured are some of the paddles we use - Werner Shuna, Werner Tybee and the splits are an aluminium set I got off amazon. I've paddled with them and they're good enough to get one of us out of trouble.

We generally use Palm BA's and we carry an FAK, 2 tow ropes, mobile phone(s) and a VHF, and a knife per BA as well as other miscellaneous kit. If anyone is interested in pics of the BA's and the rest of the gear I can take some. 
It is never too late to be what you might have been - George Eliot


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #48 on: August 16, 2018, 06:23:21 PM
My brother has a set of Werner paddles that he loves.  I couldn't tell you the model of them though, but they are a beautiful set.  I think the only reason I don't have any Werner paddles is because the place I get the deals on mine doesn't carry Werner and I can't afford to get them at regular price!  :P

I have also had a set of cheap Carlisle paddles with an aluminum shaft, but I gave those away years ago when I decided I was never going to use them again.  Actually they were on an extended loan until someone else could replace the even worse Pelican flat bladed paddles they had. 

https://www.pelicansport.com/ca_en/standard-kayak-paddle

These things are dangerous- I have almost flipped kayaks using paddles like these because they get out of alignment in your hand and then provide no resistance in the water. 

These are the Carlisle paddles I had:

https://store.carlislepaddles.com/products/461127/Day_Tripper_Kayak_Paddle?pid=860ae5f1f069f12e3e16936664d11acb

When I discovered fiberglass and carbon shafts I never went back to aluminum!   :ahhh

Meanwhile, my father prefers these Carlisle paddles:

https://store.carlislepaddles.com/products/1100711/Expedition_Kayak_Paddle?pid=47bddd6255703fc1dcf73aced9afd3f5

They are also very nice and extremely light, but the blades are fiberglass and I am a little too rough on paddles to do fiberglass blades myself.  They wouldn't last too long....  :ahhh

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #49 on: August 21, 2018, 01:18:19 PM
I couldn't help myself- last night I added to the Lamontagne Fleet.

I am justifying it because my big fiberglass boat is taking too long to finish, and the guy that was going to clear coat it for me in in the hospital and won't be able to get at it for another month, and the season is almost over and I am missing paddling too much!   :ahhh



Its a Sun Flight model, produced by Riot, a formerly Canadian company that went out of business a few years ago, and was bought up by a Chinese company.  Riot is the same company that made my father's blue and white boat above.  As you can see, the color and sizing very closely matches the Point 65 XO13 that Megan paddles.



This one is 12.5 feet long and is a hybrid whitewater boat, meaning that it (supposedly) works well in whitewater and as a light touring model.  We will see, I haven't gotten it into the water yet, so I will reserve judgement until I do.  But, I have been wanting a whitewater boat, so I am glad that I found this one.  And, I was glad for the price- only $300 and it included a dry bag, skirt and paddle!



For that price, you may be wondering what is wrong with it.... well, it's not perfect.  The seller told me he paid $1275 for it, and that may be true, but I can tell you that he got ripped off for it if he did.  This is the cheapest version of the boat available.  It has a cheap seat (to which they have added a seat pad) and the front storage hatch is molded in but was never cut open for use.  The shock cord fore and aft of the cockpit is pathetically cheap and saggy, but I will replace that in minutes.  The back hatch is complete, but there are no bulkheads, so the entire interior of the boat from bow to stern is open, with no dry storage, which is probably why they had a skirt and dry bag with it.







And perhaps the most obvious reason this was a cheap boat (well, ok, second most obvious, after the uncut front hold!) is that it was designed for use with a rudder, and yet one was never installed.



You can see the line holes that were molded in but never drilled (that's the teardrop shaped holes on either side) and the two holes in the molded in triangle where one would mount the blade rest, also never drilled, and the two screws in the stern for mounting the rudder housing.  This is great because it will allow me to add a rudder later on if I so choose, but I may not as I am also well used to paddling without a rudder since I don't have one on my big boat.

With all that is "wrong" with the boat, what is right with it?  Well, for one, the price was absolutely right for it.  You'd have a hard time finding any boats for that kind of money, and even the cheap Pelicans usually go for that or more.  For another, I like that I can shoot rapids and other whitewater with it.  It will also be fun to surf in it when I get back to the ocean.  It has a multi chined hull (exclusive design to Riot) that supposedly increases secondary stability and helps it track like a much larger boat- I will post pics of it later, but it's funny because it looks like a certain part of the female anatomy and that amuses the 12 year old in me.  Also the length and color matching the Point 65 is also kind of neat.  I'm not 100% in love with the color schemes on either of them, but it is cool that they sort of match... and in the end, color don't make it go no faster.  :D

I'm going to clean it up today, and if all goes well, maybe get it into the water, and I will let you all know how it goes afterwards.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline Nix

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #50 on: August 21, 2018, 02:48:29 PM
Congratulations on the new boat, Def.

It's kinda nice to have a 'beater' kayak.

I prefer a rudderless kayak myself. I like using the foot pegs to brace against and can steer just fine with the paddle. But, I do like sealed bulkheads fore and aft--less water to pump out after a rollover and a bit more flotation. Still, dry bags can give you the same benefits.

Enjoy the new 'yak!  :like:


scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #51 on: August 21, 2018, 09:28:55 PM
Great stuff Grant. :tu:  Now get it in the water quickly before it all turns to ice.  ;)
Be excellent to each other and always know where your towel is.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #52 on: August 21, 2018, 10:19:25 PM
I'd be in the water right now if it weren't for the impending thunderstorm.   :facepalm:

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #53 on: August 22, 2018, 12:14:01 PM
These are the new paddles.



They are 230cm Seaclude paddles from Aquabound and they are absolutely mint.  I doubt they have been used more than a couple of times.  They have a really nice blade but since they have an aluminum shaft they are virtually worthless to me, even though these are roughly $100 paddles.  I am tempted to try and swap the blades with the chipped ones on my bent shaft paddles, but I'll probably just list them for sale locally.  I'd love to pass them to a forum member, but the shipping would be a killer.  I am willing to look into it though, should anyone want them. 

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


ie Offline eamo

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #54 on: August 22, 2018, 12:40:31 PM
Good job Grant best of luck with the new boat.
Did you get to paddle it yet ?

Rudders don't seem overly common in Europe most boats I've paddled have skegs instead and probably because I learned to paddle without a rudder I dislike them.
It is never too late to be what you might have been - George Eliot


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #55 on: August 22, 2018, 12:51:32 PM
Not yet, although it is raining so hard this morning that I could almost paddle down the street!   :ahhh

I am hoping to get out later today, even if it's a short paddle.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline ThundahBeagle

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #56 on: August 23, 2018, 09:19:13 PM
Looking good! I have similar kayakholders on my wj

Here are some pics from yesterday's trip paddling around in Gothenburg

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Through an amusement park

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[It's not failure if you learn something from it]

Nice gear, Kotts! And what an enchanting place in which to be paddling!

Yeah, my WJ has done well by me. A lot of people don't know that they have the same motor and same Dana 35c and Dana 30 axles that were in the CJ and Wranglers all the way up to 2006. So when wrangler driver look askance at my ride, I like to remind them I have the same power and gearing they have, with more passenger and storage, and more tow capacity.

I originally wanted an XJ, but settled on this. I like it

This very day, I am installing Iron Rock Off Road 2 inch lift springs, with new isolators, new Pro Comp shocks, and new Moog anti sway bar links. We will see what it needs from there.

I'm stoked about it
Some pics when done I hope?

[It's not failure if you learn something from it]

Kotts,

That phase of the lift is done. It does well around town and over potholes, and does well at highway speeds. It does NOT do well over potholes at highway speeds... I plan on replacing the Panhard rod (track bar), the tie rod ends, the steering damper and see where that lands me. If all is well, new tires and a dynamic alignment. I took a few pics but I'm headed to NYC right now and will have to upload later.

Maybe I will put it in the Jeep section


us Offline ThundahBeagle

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #57 on: August 23, 2018, 09:24:42 PM
Keep in mind this is 19 years old and i pulled actual Chrysler branded shocks out of it. And the spring isolators were mush.

Rear quarter shot before lift...


2018-08-23 15.22.31.jpg
* 2018-08-23 15.22.31.jpg (Filesize: 453.81 KB)


us Offline ThundahBeagle

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #58 on: August 23, 2018, 09:26:39 PM
Because of old springs, shocks and isolators, tgis thing was probably sitting an inch below stock. So the 2 inch lift probably raised it 3 inches in total, since the 2 inches is measured above stock.

Rear quarter shot after lift...

2018-08-23 15.21.12.jpg
* 2018-08-23 15.21.12.jpg (Filesize: 472.29 KB)


us Offline ThundahBeagle

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Re: All things paddling
Reply #59 on: August 23, 2018, 09:27:50 PM
Pre-lift side view

2018-08-23 15.20.42.jpg
* 2018-08-23 15.20.42.jpg (Filesize: 438.8 KB)


 

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