I’m 6’ tall, and my wife’s 5’6". Would we fit comfortably in a 138T? Or is that more for an adult and child? Thanks.
Should be ok
leg room or foot space may hinder ya. Also if you are wide in the popsterior it may be a bit small.
Yeah…
– Last Updated: Apr-05-04 8:18 PM EST –
you'll fit but you may not enjoy it. I had a pamlico, slightly longer than 138T, and it can get annoying unless you very good at synchronized paddling. If not you're being banging paddles and wondering why the other can paddle to your beat.
Tandem = divorce boat, especially true with Rec tandems which I think are more suitable for a parent paddling a child around because a child will do a couple of strokes and then sit the rest of the time.
sing
PS. I think you better off getting two critters, swifties and what have you in rec boats.
I think
Sing is right on . Plus ya both get to handle a boat. swiftys, critters or similar are good to start in. Personally wouldn’t want 1 without good tracking .
Sing is 100% correct
We have 5 of em in our livery. You may (or may not) be surprised at the amount of bickering we get at the end of the trip in one.
Apparently, no one knows how to paddle now adays in one of those things. Just ask the honeymooners, they’ll tell ya.
Good luck my friend. Do yourself a favor and stay solo (with the boat of course). If not, you may be solo before too long. :>)
Sherpa
Longer is Better
Divorce boats, yes. Agreed.
Don’t forget Heritage Featherlite as a nice option for solo rec boats…
Glenn
The problem is, we already have two…
solos (a loon 120 & 111). We can only fit one more on top of the minivan, yet we want the whole family to be able to go on the water at the same time. We’ll keep looking. Thanks.
Old Town 160T’s
My son has 4 kids and they have 2 160T’s. One parent one older kid and one younger kid in each boat. Works well and they really enjoy the water. In the 160T if you insist on adult tandem there is enough room to avoid paddle clashing on every stroke. The darn things are heavy however and no fun to load and unload.
What Kind Of Rack?
Factory or after market. I use this with my Thule and subaru and will work with Yakima:
http://www.kayakersltd.com/angst/accessories/stackers1.html
I have stacked 4 boats – 2 on either side – hull to hull. Make sure to use bow and stern ties along with cross straps. More shifting can happen when you kayak on top of kayak.
Someone below mentioned the Loon 160T down below. The weight of that boat is equivilent to two smaller kayaks. Either way, you’ll have weight on the car top.
sing
Consider the 160T or a canoe
– Last Updated: Apr-06-04 3:47 PM EST –
The 138T is really for an adult/dog, adult/child scenario. Weight can also be a factor when two "larger" occupants are in a 138T. I've seen two adults in one and the hull characteristics are shot. Less freeboard, slower boat. The 138's are such good boats because of the low wetted surface and fine ends, even though they are so wide. They flow really well. Put a lot of weight in them though and that wetted surface area goes way up, making it a challenge to operate unless/until your mate and you coordinate your strokes and sweeps. The 160 has a few more pounds but your using it tandem so you and your wife will have no trouble loading etc. unless 74 pounds is too much due to a problem/challenge of some sort.
Why not check out some canoes too? I bought the Old town Penobscot 16 last year and my wife and I love it. A tandem canoe is fast, when paddled tandem, manages wind as well as a 138 loon solo, is one pound less than a 138 solo. Racks up sideways, next to the yaks (3 boats total) on my side-loading racks.
These are all first hand experiences and observations. I hope it helps.
Good luck!
Solo’s best
Having paddled all three Loons, 138, 138T, &160T, the 160T is a better experience than the 138T with two adults. My paddling partner and I were able to synchronize OK tandem, but will remain much better friends in our own boats. I own a Loon 138, she has an old Keowee and life is good.
Taj
Carry 1/2 the beer in each boat and if one dumps you still have 1/2 the beer. 