Kevlar boats - Q700

I picked up my new Q700 yesterday. My main concern about my big a$$ fitting was put to rest. Plenty of room in the cockpit. I hope to try out the boat tonight and see how it performs.



The rear deck seems to be very flexiable, almost like a sheet of plastic. It flexes in and out when I push on it with my hands. I was expecting a stiff rear deck. Is this normall for kevlar boats? Should I send it back for a stiffer rear deck? my main concern was cowboy re-entries. But with that much flex how long before it starts cracking the gel coat?



The boat I have been paddling is a Prijon Kodiak. A very stiff plastic boat. It was originally purchased march 2004 to go fast and camp. Never camped but have raced it a lot. I ordered the Q700 to get more performance, but still be able to camp.



Any advice about kevlar and Q700 would be appreciated



Thanks

Congratulations
on your new Q700.



You will get a lot of posts from others on this forum in answer to your question. I took delivery of Q600 and Q700, both in kevlar, about a month and a half ago. You are going to love your boat.



I believe you will find and hear that these composit boats will flex a bit particularly when pressed in a larger flatter area. The thickness of the layup is reduced to reduce the weight. You could always ask Phil if other do not allay your concerns. You also can rest assured that you are “covered”. The QCC’s are warranted for as long as you own your boat.



Happy paddling,



Mark

well
I have a second gen and 3rd Gen QCC 700… the 3rd Gen, the one with the more foward Cockpit, has the Flexy rear deck. The Second gen does not…

Cowboy reentries
mostly an exercise. Most would choose a re-enter and roll if things were nasty or a paddle float rescue if things were not. For a paddle float rescue, You can learn to pre-empty a not too loaded boat by lifting the bow while kicking up and pressing down on a paddle blade directly below your hand.



I will acknowledge that a few use them but really it’s a parlor trick for me. OTOH anything that develops balance and get the crew playing at learning instead of competeing at learning is good.

Congratulations William!
I have the QCC 700 in carbon/kevlar (current boat). The deck still flexes some. I owned two Necky Looksha 3’s in kevlar. They both flexed a lot. I think kevlar boats just do that, flex that is. I’m sure somebody knowledgable about these high-tech fabrics will write and inform us about the whys. I wouldn’t let it worry you. The 700 is (I think) the best all purpose boat you can buy: very fast; stabile; holds a ton. Race or camp, the boat will do well at both.

I can respond to your camping question about the boat being able to hold a lot of gear. YES, you will be amazed that such a fast and skinny boat can hold so much. With those huge hatches I even am able to put a full size arm chair and a roll and stow rigid table in my boat. This is besides the seven gallons of water, two propane bottles with a stove, way too much clothing and food, a tent, pillow, sleeping bag, propane light, etc…you get the idea. Congratulations! You bought a great boat. I know you are going to enjoy it.

not just cowboy re-entries
There is a rescue where you carry a tired swimmer ect. laying along the rear deck, with arms and legs dangling off the sides. I don’t want to tell my treading water wife that she just has to make do because I may break my boat.



Will the flexy rear deck allow me to do this? Or should I get a reinforced deck?



This web site is the main reason I decided to try QCC. Thanks to all who have responded or will respond to my post.

QCC
I too own a carbon/kevlar QCC700, and don’t think the flexing should be much of a problem. The carbon is probably a bit stiffer, but I’ve ‘cowboyed’ all over it with nary a problem. I’d agree with Peter that this reentry is very difficult in any type of conditions, save calm, flat water. You can do a modified cowboy too, flinging your legs over the sides like outriggers, same way you’d remount a surf ski. The QCC keyhole is just long enough that you can plant your tail, then swing in one leg, then the other. you may wish to round the cockpit coaming edge first however with a flat file, as I’ve scars on both shins from doing exactly that.

Good luck with your new boat. I find the cargo capacity/volume to be too much, but for your needs, it sounds like it was the right pick. Great company, fine, fast, and well made boat; enjoy.

Weight on rear deck
Keep the person low and weigh spread and forces are minor. It’ only stuff like cowboys - if done rough - up on butt bones and humping up to cockpit while vertical instead of staying low - that may cause too much deformation in a concentrated area and result in some cosmetic spider cracks in the gel coat (But still sound deck).



No point in worrying about it now - go use it and enjoy!

Modified cowboys
I too switched to a modified cowboy - not having anything to do with the deck - it’s just MUCH more effective to come up over the side of the cockpit belly down, drop hip in to lower center of gravity, twist around and sit/bring legs in. Easier, faster, and all done at a strong point of the boat - and away from deck lines, spare paddles, etc.

RE: Sharp coaming edge
I put auto door trim strips on mine. The smallest cheapest black stuff blends right in on mine - same color/gloss as rim. Makes it MUCH easir to hold on to - and also makes the skirt easier to get on and off. Big differnce, little $.

an option
You don’t say how heavy you are but it’s reasonable to not want to worry. Until you feel at ease using the kayak in all it’s uses why not just get a block of 3" minicell and jam it under the aft deck between the bulkhead and hatch ? A 325lb friend owns a Necky Pinta and that aft deck flexed WAY too much with his weight. Instead of coming up will all kinds of under deck reinforcements with all the stress riser issues it was a lot easier to just jam a block of foam under there.

My gut feeling is that you don’t need something, although you can see some flexing, if after a time you vitally need that volume occupied by a 3"x12" block or have to have more rigidity then it could be addressed very easily with an ounce of epoxy and a couple strips of fiberglass tape.

since it’s come up
All conposite owners especially QCC owners shoucl take the shapr ecge off their coamings. (I recommend sandpaper). I sliced up my thumb pretty well releasing my skirt while underwater. I told them about it but I guess the extra step to get the boat quite finished is cost prohibitive. So check it yourself.

weight/flex
It is probably not possible to significantly reduce the weight of the boat without ending up with more flex.



It is a balance about which various makers make differing decisions.



I heard recently that Impex has beefed up their layups because of the amount of flex was such that gel coat cracking was common.



NDK boats have reinforced decks forward and aft of cockpit to support the added weight of rescues. They weigh a lot more than equivalent layup QCC boats.



Considering QCC’s excellent reputation, I would think you should be able to use your boat in all appropriate manner and if there is a problem, QCC will take care of it.

dunno in the kevlar kayaks
I have seen an owned, I didn’t have any flex, it was hard like glass.



You could always reinforce it with glass or more kevlar if it buckles.