Anybody have any experence with betsie bay
valkyrie. How maneverable, stability & speed.
Thx
BB Valkyrie
I owned one for a while. I am 5’7", 140lbs. I liked it a lot. It is stable, handles well and doesn’t weathercock. I used it as a basis for a narrower s & g that I made.
edging/turning
How quick to turn when edged. Boat felt fairly
quick? how’d it feel in the really rough stuff
Just bought one
Hi, Jay.
I bought one 5 days ago! The builder needed to thin her fleet to make room for new projects, and my rolling guru said that particular Valkyrie would be a good practice boat for me. I know the builder modified it somewhat, narrowing it to 19 1/2". I don’t know if there were other modifications, but it would be easy to find out.
I was told that this particular version should be used on fairly calm waters: in seas not over two feet, and winds up to maybe 13-15 knots or so. If nobody else posts any definitive answers, perhaps I can get some opinions at this week-end’s pool session. Let me know if you’d like.
BB valkyrie
The bb model is suspose to be really good in
rough water & a pretty stable boat. Yours
sounds a little more specialized
BBK boats…
…have a nice balance between tracking and maneuverability. Even the longer Aral and Recluse turn well when edged. I’ve owned both of them.
Why the limits on conditions?
Frankly, they make no sense, as it’s not the boat that matters, but the skill of the paddler. There’s nothing about the dimensions of the boat that would indicate that it’s not suitable of any conditions the paddler can handle.
Are you sure the boat is a Valkyrie? BBK boats are not available as kits or plans, so the only “builder” of the Valkyrie is BBK. Perhaps your “builder” made a modified copy of a Valkyrie?
valkyrie
Didn’t say there was limits to any thing,
in regard to his boat its a bit narrower
beam & from his comments it sounds like it
would take abit more skill to paddle then model
made directly at bb
valkerie
I’ll find out this Sunday. If BB doesn’t sell plans, then the builder must have made a modified copy. Since this particular group is heavily into rolling, I’m sure any modifications were made in order to make it an easier-rolling boat; it was the builder’s personal rolling boat. And because of the modifications, it sounds as though we’re not talking about a true Valkyrie.
LOL!
– Last Updated: Jan-12-07 10:37 AM EST –
I was wondering the same as Brian...
"This group is heavy into rolling..." Oh no, another group forming that thinks "paddling" is going out a 100' from shore and rolling for hours. That also explains the term, "guru", rather than "coach." :)
Just ribbing. I agree with Brian. It's the paddler and not the boat. But, then again, that boat may have been so severely modified with a whacked out trim where it is not good for anything but rolling. In this case, DON'T buy the boat unless you also think rolling = paddling.
sing
RIght On!
This group is well established. A lot of them view rolling as a matter of survival, because of the conditions they like to paddle in. And others, like me, are getting hooked on rolling as a way of playing in your boat for relaxation, as opposed to excitement. Something closer to an art form. Let’s go hang out! No matter what the goal and skill levels are, people help each other out.
Oh, yeah, we’re almost totally sea kayakers, not WW folks.
My guru’s comments could very well have been directed to my paddling skills, and not to the general characteristics of the boat. I’m not the most advanced paddler on the face of the planet!!
BBK V
I’ve paddle Mark Molina’s Valkyrie, and it is a lovely boat. Have also seen and paddled a chopped “rolling” version. You’ll need to see and paddle this boat in the conditions it’s intended for, but if the chop was to reduce freeboart w/o changing the hull shape and you never expect to do anything other than day paddles, you’d probaby be fine. Most kayakers, including rollers are a good ethical bunch,so is hard to imagine that the owner of this boat would sell you something that was really unsuited to your skills and needs. Still, you are the paddler, and it is what you think that counts.
How did it edge??
The original poster, Jay, was wondering how responsive the Valkyrie is to edging. Can you make quick turns when it’s on edge?
My modified Valkyrie will be great for rolling—for hanging out. I have something else to use in rougher stuff. Right now, my main boat is an old beat-up NDK Greenlander that someone gave me because he knew I’d love it.
Maybe you could tell us something about how the Valkyrie responds to edging??
The stock boat should be good…
… but if the sheer has been reduced on the boat in question to lower the volume, it can seriously compromise edging performance. That’s because when a boat with a really low aft deck is edged toward the outside of a turn, the sheer goes underwater and the aft deck digs in as you try to turn. In such cases, it actually works better if you lean into the turn, as when riding a bike. Nigel Foster pointed this out to me when watching me edge my Pintail.
BBK Valkyrie
– Last Updated: Jan-16-07 12:31 PM EST –
I've had one for two years, and I love it (even though the coaming is painful--it sticks up too high). The boat is a joy to paddle--it's fast, nimble, and very responsive.
Speed: It's fast enough for me; I never have problems keeping up with anyone. Although you can buy a faster boat, it's at the faster end of boats I've tried.
Edging: it's very easy to edge and very responsive to edging.
Rough water: the 2 ft rule for the modified BBK is certainly NOT true for the regular BBK Valkyrie. It handles well in rough water and waves.
Wind: it does weathercock a little, but you can control that by shifting your weight. A few times with strong cross-winds, I've wished for a skeg, but most of the time it's fine without one.
Stability: moderate initial; high secondary, or at least it seems that way to me.
Load: it's not a great boat for long trips, although you can carry enough gear for a 4 to 6 day trip if you have backpacking, low volume gear. I pack very lightly, yet on one camping trip, the boat was lower in the water than ideal, given the waves.
Overall, I've been very happy with the boat. It's easy to roll, even though the coaming gets in the way. The construction quality seems high. The hatches are a hassle, and the deckline location is annoying. Nevertheless, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat, even though the wait can be long.