Anybody else with ellesmere stories?
Appreciate anybody with seat time in ellesmere
and your overall impressions.
did not like it
– Last Updated: Apr-09-08 3:13 PM EST –
I once spent 5 hours test paddling three boats in modest waves up to a foot on a large motorboat churned up lake. Boreal Ellesmere, Impex Force 4, and Impex OI. I was comfy with my boat control, edging, turning with both Impex boats and ended up withe the OI mainly due to best cockpit fit for me.
I did not like paddling the Ellesmere at any part of my hour in it. I could not keep the boat from constantly turning, without using the rope skeg. I could not get it up speed like the other two. I did not understand why so take my comment as only my personal experience, not advice or a review. I never felt completely comfy in the boat, even when basically stationery.
This experience proved that no matter what the features, reviews, and pros/cons of a boat as read about, the best way to choose a boat is test paddling. I should not be critical of the Ellesmere just because it did not work for me. In fact, I love my OI which is not the most popular of Impex boats at all.
Rocker
I definitely like boats with lots of rocker.
The pintail I used to paddle was fun and miss
it. The ellesmere has the rocker and did at the
time feel quick and edged nice but at times
felt abit jittery in confused water. Probably
with seat time I’d be fine. The one boat I didn’t
like in confused/rough water was the shilouette.
The round bottom and hard chines spoked me a bit.
The recluse I’am paddling now feels really stable
and the hard chine in that boat no problem with
the v-bottom. I’am thinking the rounded bottom
of the silhouette and the arch bottom of ellesmere
similar or am I wrong? I need to get out in an
ellesmere and decide from there I guess.
You need to paddle it a lot
I think it’s a matter of getting used to a particular hull.Is it a great design? I wouldn’t really know but it works for me. It’s strong point is the solid secondary that will keep you upright at the end of the day when you’re exhausted and your bracing skills are not what they were in the morning when you set out.
I’ve been dumped in the wishy washy Pintail as a result of strong beam winds and sloppy edging leaning technique which was my fault due to tiredness but I rather doubt the same would have happened in the Elle.
Define rough stuff
Wind speed ____
Wave height ____
Current ______
Other Ellesmere stories
I’ve been paddling my Ellesmere (04 version in fibreglass with rope skeg and day hatch) for almost four seasons now. Acquired through a kayak trade somewhat by accident as I was looking to upgrade from a Formula Diamante to something more advanced (and make performing a balance brace easier) and the paddler I traded with was looking for something more less tippy.
Since then, I’ve paddled it on the local in town rapids here in Ottawa, Thousand Islands area of the St. Lawrence. Rock hopped in Nova Scotia. Surfed the tidal rapids on the Shubie with it. Took it out for a level 2 course on Georgian Bay with just enough room for all my gear. Done a few gelcoat repairs, applied a keel strip. Fixed the stupid hole that the seat wore through the hull. My Ellesmere weighs 61# with the keel strip. Before that, it was 60#. But the BD website lists the fibreglass Ellesmere at 55#… WTH???
Gelcoat repairs while aren’t that hard, still take time from paddling so I use my plastic Capella more for the rocky river play and surfing I do. Wave heights on the Shubie I think were 6’-8’. As the tide rolls in and the big waves form, I think the current is > 4kts as I found trying to catch the waves at the head of the wave train an exercise in futility. On the Ottawa 1’-2’ wave heights on the rapids and wind waves on the wider portions. (Note, this is NOT the whitewater sections with rapids with names like Buseater). I’ve taken the Ellesmere out in winds where gusts were up to 30kts. It wasn’t fun trying to cartop a 61# fibreglass boat afterwards!
My only complaint about the Ellesmere is that the rear coaming isn’t lower and that the backband is too close to the rear coaming. I’ve beefed up the thigh pads and applied 1/2" padding to the fibreglass seat to increase my connection to the boat. The result is a solid connection b/w myself and boat. The stock keyhole version is too big for me without my modifications. The ocean cockpit might have been a better fit. But, I like the keyhole cockpit as I’m just the right height that I can get in butt first for paddling out through surf. I wasn’t really sold on the ocean cockpit when I test paddled a brand new Anas Acuta and had to launch in the water away from a cobble beach.
Lifting your butt off the seat to do some greenland rolls reduces the effect of the rear coaming on my spine, but I still feel it. (I use my Capella more for rolling for this reason).
I have contemplated removing the backband and just using some foam glued to the rear coaming. But am concerned how long it’d last with putting on the skirt, self rescues and general wear and tear.
Comparing it to my plastic Capella, I think the reverse hard chine helps initiate an edged turn sooner.
Addressing the original post, I find that the Ellesmere performs at its best when the waves are confused. On flat water, I never paddle in a straight line b/c the boat just begs to be put through its paces. So I end up paddling next to cliff faces, slaloming b/w buoys etc. It’s perhaps not the best surfing boat as I found the bow started to pearl on me. But that probably has more to do with my skill than the boat at this time. My weight floats b/w 150-155. Most of the time I paddle it unloaded.
I paddle with both GP and euro blades in the Ellesmere. Lately more euro as I do more rough water play now and find using the GP difficult in shallow rocky water and harder to catch some of these river waves in town.
Overall, I like the Ellesmere. It’s a nice compromise b/w having capacity for camping and play once you get to your destination.
Alf.
whips and chains 
Ellesmere feels big
I had ellesmere out today in lake Ontario and
it felt big and bulky after paddling recluse
this past month. The water wasn’t real rough
but ellesmere felt stable and turns really
nice when edged. But just didn’t work for me.
I like wilso’s reply to rough stuff!