and you should try a 21" beam SINK
I don’t think you can quite get what I’m saying with just plastic SOT experience.
Please understand that’s NOT meant as a slam at all! Not to you, the Heritage boats, or SOTs.I’m sure your boats suit your needs very well. It’s just a matter of limited perspective.
I started with SOTs and was quite resistant to SINKs. I thought SOTs did everything I needed. For a while they did. I was very happy with my Tarpon 160 (similar class to both Heritage boats you recommend - but to me, in S FL, a better choice).
Between 1400 miles on the T160, and a couple hundred more on a Shearwater, I think I have a very good idea about both SOT paddling and what you’re saying about the Heritage boats. My Q700 is far and away more enjoyable to paddle in any conditions.
For those that don’t want to paddle SINKs - that’s fine. SOTs are great. Whatever work for you. Just don’t make assumptions about SINKs based solely on SOT paddling. I did, and was quite wrong. Fortunately - I test my own ideas regularly, and take no one’s words/ideas as absolute truth - even my own.
Come on 200!!!
I HAVE an Expedition
and as far as I am concerned … its a P-I-G PIG !
: )
(because of its weight mostly - and probably partly the virtually flat bottom - not to mention the ‘dents’ that I have to occasionally adjust the handmade ‘bulkheads’ - to keep pushed out)
I weighed it on an accurate scale … 83 whoppin pounds !
So I wouldn’t use it as a good judge of any kind of SOT ‘performance’ …
there have to be a lot better ones than the He - Ex
comfortable ? … absolutely without fault as far as I am concerned
major sacrifices in turning ability ? - to gain tracking - because THAT (go straight) it does.
utilitarian ? … sure
good for real ‘touring’ (hauling stuff) ? - probably
past that … I make no favorable claims … I though it was fast when I bought it … but from my experience now … its only faster than lower level utilitarian and rec boats.
not really on the main topic … but …
Knock you off or roll you off?
Are those swells actually knocking you over or just rolling you over? With the ski in bigger stuff, I come out every now and then when I screw up a stroke and lose my balance, but it’s floating right next to me when I pop up–it’s not getting pushed away like it would in the surf. I’m with you on wanting to get into a touring boat that I can stay with no matter what, but I’m a lot more afraid of getting caught in the surf or by an outside set than the offshore stuff I’ve been in so far.
I haven’t paddled in really extreme conditions, but I’ve yet to experience anything offshore that comes close to the kind of hit you take in the surf. Whitecaps can give you a a slap, as can waves that are cresting and getting ready to cap, but in the conditions I’ve been in they won’t slam you over and pull the boat away because they’re not dumping that much of the energy of the wave onto your boat. That would change when you combine big waves with enough wind to get them breaking in a serious way, but that’s going to be a set of conditions that would keep most of us off the water. Good to be ready if you get caught out, but I’m guessing it would take 30-40 knots over a long fetch for a couple of days before it would get ugly enough that I’d be really worried about losing the Scupper. We don’t get a lot of that here, and when we do, I don’t mind staying off the water or sticking to someplace protected.
Yes, You Are Right, But
Big swells roll you over, they do not really knock you off the boat.
But around here they have a tendancy to break on you. In unusal places. Sometimes well offshore. That is when they get the power to knock you off the boat.
Yep
I’ve had that sinking feel of “what is that wall of white water doing way outside here?” a time or two also. A little bit bigger set or a little bit different angle and all the sudden it’s catching a rock or a reef you didn’t know was there. Not fun, and as you say, very much a reason to want a boat that you can stay in through the pounding and roll up when the next wave hits. I lost my first ski that way once and was incredibly lucky to get it back–a fishing boat picked it up five miles out and the Coast Guard put us in touch. I have a new leash setup on my ski now that I hope will deal with that if it happens again. The leash is tied into a cord that runs up to a couple of surfboard leash plugs on the bow, with a chunk of shockcord that’s supposed to break if the strain gets to be more than I want to have on my leg, but I’m hoping that swinging the ski bow-on to the wave will reduce the strain to something that the leash and me can both survive. But I’m also trying very hard not to test it.
RUDDER!
Paddle On…!
-Frank in Miami
SKEG!
Paddle on!
-Frank in Miami
sponsons
L
Decomposing Orange peals!!!
I think we’re on the same page here
I DO appreciate the utility of 'yaks like your QCC 700 and the 22" beam 17+ Brit boats, and I’m sure at some point I’ll try some and possibly own one. But that will be when I have a lot more time to spend on the water than I currently have. 'Til then I’ll be content with my 4 hr, one day a week, day trips on my Nomad.
In the spirit of keeping this discussion going I do have one more question for you - do you think it would be possible to design a 20’long 20" beam SOT with built in sponsons, outriggers, a sail rig, a skeg, and a rudder that would be safer and faster than your QCC 700?
Aldready exists
Just use a sail rig on an OC-1
Peanut Butter! & Fatty Diets
sit on top vs sit in
I have paddled a Cobra Explorer for three years…doing lots of fishing and birding and ocean surfing…I recently bought a sit in for exercise…I enjoy both boats but the paddling experience is better in sit in. I would start with something easy and fun…then progress to long and sleek. If you are mainly cruising…paddling…get a sit in and take a few courses…find a group to paddle with…and stay safe!