Vela Rescue
It was during the long gone and somewhat lamented BCU Canoe Safety Test, so yes, I had a rather large guy hanging off my stern. Would I necessarily want to repeat the exercise? Not really, but you do what you gotta do.
Camping
Unless you have the money for multiple boats, focus on getting a boat that you will like for day paddles (without carrying lots of gear).
You probably don’t need a boat as big as the Explorer.
I manage to camp out of a Romany and I am bigger than you are.
When camping, think like a backpacker.
Also, if you are going with a group, try to make sure you reserve some space for community stuff.
Note that you might be able to stuff a dry bag in front of your feet.
OK - that helps
– Last Updated: Oct-21-08 10:10 PM EST –
I can see that in the CST - if yours was like the one we did, it had a couple of things going for it that our little mess in the bay didn't. Flat water, no risk of an entire capsized mess being taken out into nearby open ocean by current and a paddler that wasn't beginning to suffer from exhaustion and a smidge of cold. (tho' thank heavens for dry suits)
It could be argued that I should have been more comfortable going for it, and if I were in the same boat again today perhaps. But we started to try it with the Vela and quickly found it to be pretty dicey. We had an Explorer in the group who could get to us, and decided it was wiser to take their help than push for the higher risk option. My times of having someone on the deck in the Explorer, including a "real" rescue with a less than calm rescuee, have left me really impressed with how much more secure the same action feels.
Great!
That’s a great impression of the AA. I spent several hours in one this weekend, Sadly it was flat water only so I have a limited review. What I can say is that I love the fit and playfull nature. It felt very stable and confident. It also rolls just as good as my Outer Island. There’s just something very special about it that’s hard to pin down. The AA is not about speed but itdoes everything else just fine. I also liked the Romany but the AA just a bit more. Time to start saving my coins!
Gary