This boat is for my sister-in-law who is just starting. I have had her out in my Perception Eclipse 16, and she handles it well in very choppy conditions. She has used a Pongo and was surprised at how much more she enjoyed a longer and narrower boat. She needs a boat light enough to lift onto her Tundra. She was hoping for something less than 35 pounds. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks
Budget?
How much ya willing to spend?
These are nice:
http://www.swiftcanoe.com/kayak/touring_sport/Saranac14Classic.htm
My brother in law got one of these and he really likes it, it is nice and light, and the hull shape seems to give it a long waterline for it’s actual length.
Light wt. 15ft.
Light wt.= expensive in most cases. Most kayak co’s make boats in carbon or kevlar. Pick a boat you like and check with the co. that makes it. There will be many boats to pick from. Good luck. Vaughn Fulton
Less weight = more dollars
For an equally equipped kayak. Plastic touring kayak in the same category as the Eclipse 16 = $1400-$1600. Same category but in a far lighter layup like Kevlar or Carbon Fiber Blend = $3000-$3500 range.
Also have her look into a Thule Hull-a-vator. Take the PITA factor out of the land side of kayaking.
See you on the water,
Marshall
www.the-river-connection.com
Hyde Park, NY
QCC 400?
– Last Updated: Jul-23-07 2:47 PM EST –
In carbon it will run her about $2,800.00 at about 39lbs. As Eric said,, SEDA has some boats to look at,,in addition to the Atajo the Gypsy and Starlet in Kevlar (no gel) will be light and priced around 3k.
HEX
400x
Mine in kevlar with sealine rudder weighs 42lbs and is an easy carry as it balances well. I am able to hoist it up to back roofline of my van and pick up stern to push onto cradles.
why 15’
– Last Updated: Jul-23-07 6:23 PM EST –
what's her size/weight/height?
35lbs is into carbon territory and high cost for a regular sized kayak for regular sized lighter people,,for lower cost it'll take a very small kayak if she's a very small person, for example a Current Designs Raven.
solo canoe
in that weight class and at a price under $1,500, she is better off considering one of the solo canoes that utilizes a double bladed paddle.
Or…
just lift one end of the boat at a time. That’s what I do. I’ll lift my whole boat to waist level to get it to the water or to my truck. After that… one end at a time.
Cost for weight
Price is not as important when you consider paying more for a boat that you will use vs saving some money on a boat that hardly ever gets wet.
Does anyone have an opinion on an Easy Rider Dolphin e?
Necky Manitiou 14
A Necky Manitiou 14 (actually 14’4") in poly is 50 pounds and very easy to handle. I think the composite version is closer to 40 pounds but of course gets a lot more expensive. The poly version is $999 MSRP.
Kneejerk reaction severely limits choice
– Last Updated: Jul-23-07 8:13 PM EST –
It seems that most people's kneejerk reaction is to restrict themselves to boats below a certain weight range, when there are other solutions to the lifting dilemma.
If it's only the rooftopping onto a Tundra that poses difficulty, she could do the following, and open up her choices of sea kayaks to a lot more choices that would not meet her weight requirement but perform well on the water:
(a) Buy a trailer for $1000, which is a lot less than paying the difference between a 55-lb sea kayak and a 35-lb one of the same size. It also allows transportation of ANY sea kayak, without having to lift high.
OR
(b) In a few cities, you can rent storage space for a sea kayak, right by the water. Admittedly, this is available only in some places but it might be a viable solution, and it's one that allows getting on and off the water very quickly.
OR
(c) Get the shock-assisted sideloader ($400 plus the rest of the rack components). Total may end up costing about the same as a trailer, and is less transferrable from vehicle to vehicle. But again, it's another possibility.
OR
(d) Get a lower vehicle--a very expensive solution that might pose other problems, but it is an option (which I personally would not do).
All of the above allow choosing from a good selection of sea kayaks, unlike the "buy light and expensive" exhortation. What if she is a dragger? What if she wants to do expeditions? What if she can't load a kayak--no matter how light--on/off her truck when it's windy? I've seen someone drop a 39-lb sea kayak off his truck because of that. It's a lot less likely to occur with solutions (a), (b), or (c).
Skin on Frame or Stitch and Glue
But you have to build them (cheap) or have one built (expensive.) They Pygmy Artic Tern 14 is 32 pounds.
http://www.pygmyboats.com/mall/arctic_tern_14.asp
Add a grain of salt
to the weights for kit boats, unless you are an experienced builder. My wife’s Tern 14 is more like 39 lbs., but that is with the bulkhead and hatch kit installed. That’s still a pretty light boat, and a great performer - no wishing for a skeg yet…
Alan
My Tern 17
Listed as 39 pounds, actually came out pretty close to that weight–40 pounds. I’m a first time builder, and I had read that it is common to come out on the heavy side in first builds. I guess I took the advice seriously, and didn’t overdo it on the epoxy.
Absolutely
I don’t care how much a boat weighs. I ain’t lifting it over my head on a windy day.
If the Tundra isn’t necessary for work, trading it in for something lower may, in fact, be the most cost effective thing she could do. What kind of mpg does a Tundra get?
NC Excursion LT
39 lbs. . . $2100.00.
bad knees
No wonder I have a bum knee!
I have a trailer, a low station wagon, a fancy lifting gadget and under 40lb yaks.
But what do I do? Solo lift my 17ft yak on top of my 4x4. I have to use a two step stool to reach.
Is the 42 lbs the weight with rudder?
the web site http://www.qcckayaks.com/kayaks/kayak_select.asp?model=q400x shows 42 lbs without the rudder. I would expect the rudder to add about 5 lbs.
Have you weighed yours? If the weights on the web site includes rudder, that makes the QCC boats more attractive to me.