NDK quality update

Salty

– Last Updated: May-02-06 4:18 PM EST –

You've never seen either me or my wife pack for camping ;-) I know efficient folk camp out of small boats and indeed the Aquanaut has too much volume for most of our camping.

While Jed in his Romany can easily keep up with me in my Aquanaut, I, in my Romany, was really pushing it to keep sprint pace with Evan in his Outer Island a few weeks ago. The bow wake of the Romany was enormous! I am more often in the Aquanaut when paddling with him in his Outer Island and it seems (maybe illusionary) that it is less effort to keep up a fast pace.

The more demanding nature of the Aquanaut helps sharpen my skills. I find the Romany is so forgiving that I get kind of sloppy/lazy if I don't spend time in another boat. This maybe simply because of the stage of development my skills are at right now.

I'm still learning alot about the Romany. I have a couple of years muscle memory in the 'naut. So, at this time I do better in conditions in the Aquanaut. That will undoubtedly change as I spend more time in varying seas in the Romany. I am taking it to Woods Hole next month for two days of work with Jed. I also brought the Romany for a surf session in Rhode Island last Autumn with Greg and Jed and it was a blast!

Right now I am enjoying the two contrasting personalities. My skill set is not deep enough yet to even consider a surf ski...

Paddling the Triton
Oh, yeah, I have paddled the Triton. Wicked good fun.

The boat is insanely fast. On it’s maiden voyage a few months back, we paddle it 25nm. We did have current assist (measured with decent accuracy at 1/2kn), and our average speed was 7kn! Admittedly, we are both fit, and were a bit tired the next day…

It fits a bit lower in the deck than my standard Explorer- very snug. Harder to get legs together (like race boats).

The volume is an issue. With careful packing, it could equal the pack space of two Romany’s. Lots of usable pack space for bulky gear ahead of the footpegs. The question to be answered is how it would paddle fully loaded plus two guys, one at 185, one 200lb. Not much freeboard with us in it unloaded.

The seating position is similar to a WW tandem canoe, very close. When in the stern, I can, with a racing reach, tag Jon’s shoulder.

While the tracking is good, the turning ease when edged is stunning. Edging comfortably one can have water to the waist, then the boat gets realy responsive.

Rolling it is silly. We have to back off our usual rolling input, or we wind up windowshading.

The real test is in the Columbia River Gorge- world famous spot for windsurfing, awesome for long downwind surf sessions in a kayak. Took it out in 35kn winds, again, wicked good fun, but a lot of work for the stern paddler. Effective stern rudders had to be done like a ww canoe, using the gunwale as a fulcrum for the paddle. Was afraid I was going to break my paddle.



I have paddle the Aleut, only in flat water, but really liked it. Far more gear capacity, less “playful”. If I won the lottery, I would own both.



It is amazing how much fun a good double can be with skilled paddlers. Too bad there are so few good doubles.



karl

i can even
put flames on my boat with the stuff from autobarn!!!

Been there done that…
…used decals on one other boat of mine but got those off ebay…they were guaranteed for 7yrs against UV damage, and to let you know, I used them on a white boat so it wouldn’t make a major color difference in the gelcoat if I took them off years later.



Now, if I can ever find that little “Taz” decaul for my next boat I will be set.

Odd color combination…
I would never ask that, I would have made that assumption (big smirk).



We sure miss the PNW paddling community. The paddling in Chicago just isn’t the same. Oh well…



Take care!



Wade