congrats on Zephyr
I think it’s one of the coolest boats out there…if you fit it.
I put a ton of miles on a Zephyr and just loved it…only sold it when I started bringing the dog. I remember that I could outpace a Blackhawk Combi 15.8 tandem with good paddlers in it.
It’s got a bunch more rocker than a Peregrine or Kestrel or even a Merlin II so it out-turns those boats by a margin. My only problem was sinking the boat in some rapids…it’s shallow.
It’s quick, it’s fast, it turns on a dime and it’s sweet. Just small (low volume). I took one freestyle lesson in my Zephyr and it’s perfect other than taking on water when you dip the rail too low.
I’ve got a Hemlock Kestrel and Charlie is right (as usual) and it may be one of the closest boats out there. The Kestrel does not freestyle like a Zephyr but it does accelerate like one…where the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th strokes feel as effortless as the first. It just goes. The Kestrel also holds more weight than a Zephyr; mine takes me plus the dog easily (260 ish total).
Does your Zephyr have any mahogany trim?
Flickr.com, yanoer
http://www.flickr.com/
Click “Create Account”. Free and you;ll have your pics on there in 9 minutes flat. Then, link to us.
Thanks cooldoctor1.
I’ll check into that.
buff knees
There are differences in hulls vis-a-vis sitting or kneeling but IMHO the best position for solo paddling in quiet or WW is on one’s knees. You can pray better that way };-). Actually notwithstanding solo canoes made for double blades, kneeling is much more efficient but an acquired taste. Some folks have knee problems and that might be the case here, but for those who don’t, the best situation is to have ready access to water and paddle say, every day or every other day and gradually get your knees used to it. Just a half an hour or 45 minutes each time should do it. Don’t try to overdo or your knees will get sore and you’ll stop trying. just a bit at a time until your knees get in shape. The benefits are worth it.
Pagayeur
Our size
Try to find a Bell FlashFire - magical hull for our size if balance is OK, which improves with time in/on target.
Yellowstone is tto wide for you unless you are very wide at shoulders for size. It is tough for compact men to reach across the rails of a 30" wide boat and stack their hands up.
I’m 5’9", 164 lbs and own both in Bell Black Gold. I’vbe recently used Flash on a couple SE trips where we carried watr, so ~ 100 lbs burden past my own weight - Flash ran class 2 drops just fine, and caught my buddies Dagger PAthfinder as needed.
I just taught an ACA Instructor Certification in Wild and was shocked at what a pig it is. [Simple, i don’t have an effioient stroke due to hull width, and Wild has lots more wetted surface tha Flash - Wild is fine for bigger, stronger guys/gals, but over my ergometric and drag limits.]
Outside edge of gunwales is actually 28"
when I measured Jan-12-08. That’s 1" wider than the gunwales on my Rx Wildfire.