if true
drop whatever you are doing, go to Brazil and open a kayak shop this minute
I wish
that would be too cool. Who wants to invest?
Almost 100% duty and freight fees over the cost of a boat. Brazil and india have the highest import duties and taxes in the world. Look it up… I did,
And that my friend is why Confluence is not there.
paul
just a note
on twitchy bitchiness (I know about this) and being squirrelly…my husband paddled the Khat and felt stable. He is a complete newbie, 5’ 10", around 190 lbs. Now this was flat water, but he didn’t feel tippy at all, which is saying something. I can’t say how he’d feel on big water, he won’t go there. I don’t feel the kayak is unstable at all, in fact more stable than my Vela…that may or may not be due to my size, I don’t know. It looks to me like you could get a fair amount of gear packed into it, but that is relative to my Vela as well. I thought about using it for a week of paddling Isle Royale in September and I sort of wish I had so I could contribute to that discussion. I traveled with it to Tobago last winter, dividing it between two bags, one being a travel golf bag. Our only issue with weight was that we were taking dive gear too! Fortunately we didn’t need many clothes. The only time I’ve seen an S version I thought the skin looked really lose and floppy. I wonder if the owner didn’t extend the center sections or if he didn’t have the sponsons inflated.
Paddling in Brazil sounds like a great time 
Sharon
Hmmm…
Hard to do business there otherwise, or just to import stuff?
Make 'em (local) and sell 'em. Contract manufacture - as surely someone can layup a hull there. If not - DIY. Nothing fancy - a couple wood strip models to start, maybe an occasional SOF. They have wood. They have marine industries so glass and resins. See where it goes…
As a business thing, probably makes more sense to do a simple beach SOT rental…
Brazil
– Last Updated: Dec-02-08 2:02 AM EST –
http://www.andetur.com.br/us/Brazil/Projects/sea_kayak.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5Z11obllEQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p68rj879Zyg
yep
– Last Updated: Dec-02-08 2:49 AM EST –
as you can see, nothing there. As he stated, you could use folders or build your own wood strippers. (gee what is this thread all about?)
I have found some longer kayaks in some of the tour operators pictures but when called, or contacted, they have shorter chopped mat style fiberglass with no bulkheads and weighing a ton that were primarily built in a back yard type of operation.with Brazil being so big, there is so much potential it is unbelievable. But as with anything Brazilian, it would need to be done their way.
Paul
business in Brazil
not difficult with a great accountant and lawyer. fortunately, they are not exorbitant like here. Import duty and freight charges are the real problem.
Paul