Expedition sea kayaks

Got water up North?
You test paddling, on water? All I’ve got is ice. Darned freshwater!



Got indoor pool at least if you happen southward.



See you on the water,

Marshall

The River Connection, Inc.

Hyde Park, NY

www.the-river-connection.com

hudsonriverpaddler.org

halifax nova scotia
plenty of water here!

the cetus hv is beautiful
I am amazed at how snug the fit is in the hv model I was afraid it would be big and loose but it fit like a glove. that’s the one for me im going to order it in black on black with black everything!

cheers thanks for the advice

Check the lead time
Great news that the fit was spot on! Sounds like my reaction to the MV.



If you’re going to special order one they’ll put it on the docket for production in the UK but lead time for non-stock special orders are going to be till August optimistically.



Too bad you’re not into yellow or red.



Biased comment I know, you’re going to have a blast with the Cetus.



See you on the water,

Marshall

The River Connection, Inc.

Hyde Park, NY

www.the-river-connection.com

hudsonriverpaddler.org

Expedition rigged
http://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/109227719241938487931/albums/5927011359539603713/5927027034947879154?partnerid=gplp0&pid=5927027034947879154&oid=109227719241938487931






Three Boats
I usually recommend one of three boats to people. IMO these are three classic expedition boats and you can’t go wrong selecting any of the three. Pending paddler height and weight, a paddler shouldn’t have any problem doing expeditions in a Valley Nordkapp, a Sea Kayak UK (NDK) Explorer or a P&H Cetus. These are three designs that are time tested, haven’t changed much and will offer everything a paddler would want in an expedition rigged kayak. When you get something right, no reason to screw with it too much.

wow nice pics where from
one piece of gear you would probably love which I just picked up last summer sea line baha stern deck bag. sweet for lighter items on deck.

found some really good deals
though and I wont be waiting till august mec told me 6- 8 weeks if that isn’t doable I will buy one of the ones that I found already here.

carbon kevlar layup or fg
is my only question now I found a guy with 2 2013 carbon Kevlars including keel strips and compass for a good price just not sure about the layup as I read carbon Kevlar isn’t the best choice of building materials, that it doesn’t bond as well as fg and is more encapsulated and will soak up water with wea and tear over time. though this comes from a different builder (nc kayaks) faq page any opinions hmm maybe another post for this one. but with a keel strip what could go wrong and for the price id be paying 100 dolars more for the 2013 than a standard 2014 fg no keel strip or compass.

Additional thoughts.
If you get the chance to paddle a Valley Norkapp and a P&H Cetus, before you buy a Cetus, I would strongly suggest you do so. I’ve paddled all of them and I too thought I would really like the Cetus. They certainly are nice boats, but the 18’ Nordkapp changed my mind.



When you consider which type of layup to go with, consider this: There really isn’t a great difference in the weight between a kevlar, carbon, or glass boat, but there is quite a difference in price. No matter which fabric, or combination of fabrics is used, the gel coat is still the weak link. When it comes to repairs, glass will be easier and cheaper to fix. I am no expert, but I have seen a demonstration that convinced me that vinylester resin does as advertised.



About your choice of black–it will show every little mark and scratch.

Photos are from…
Lake Azischohos in Maine. Items on the back deck of my boat are a camp chair and my sleeping pad and bivy in a dry bag. Both items are light. Heavier stuff is inside the boat.

Who’s in the yellow squirt boat?
Or whose yellow boat is under all the dry bags? Like the line from Jaws “…need a bigger boat.” or to not bring the big screen tv in the aft dry bag.



See you on the water,

Marshall

The River Connection, Inc.

Hyde Park, NY

www.the-river-connection.com

hudsonriverpaddler.org

black looks good but…
Freya was in a black NDK Explorer during our Iceland circumnavigation (along with a black drysuit, black PFD and black paddle) and she was very difficult to see in the cold black waters among black volcanic rocks on the coast.



Also, due to an unfortunate call from a well-meaning bystander, a search was enacted for us, and the aircraft saw me at close range during a fly-over (yellow NDK Explorer) but could not see Freya adjacent to me, and this prolonged the search.



In Florida, black gets so hot that you can see heat waves rising from it. I have tried it and “never again”.



That said, it’s your choice but just wanted to give you some of the drawbacks.



Greg Stamer

Scottb’s brother
I’m more of a minimalist. Besides my kayak is18’3" and his boat is 14’.

ok, we’ve covered the heavier stuff
but where did you put the beer and wine?



:wink:

12 pack
Fits nicely between the foot pegs of my boat. I also have a small hatch to access the skeg area at the rear of the Artisan and can fit 8 more cans in there if I need to.



One of the other guys had a Boreal Ellesmere. I was not impressed with it at all. Have yet to find any kayak that paddles as smoothly as mine does and is as comfortable to sit in for hours.

nice
Every cubic inch counts. Because they let us bring more stuff!

wow good points
I think I will be buying one of the boats I found locally anyways now just because of the savings one is white and the other yellow with white hull.

in this case price isnt an issue
I can buy a 2013 carbon Kevlar (not the ultra light)with the keel strip and it also includes a flushmount compass, for 100 dollars more than the fg with no keel strip or compass.

get this
WHy not the yak that hold THE world record for longest paddle trip??? Here is map of route:

http://verlenkruger.com/images/Western_hemisphere.gif





Hull design holds 11-world records in expedition paddling…best boat if you ask me. Expensive but comfy, effiecient, strongest production boat on the market, easy to portage.

DreamCatcher Kruger design