-- Last Updated: Jan-08-04 4:50 PM EST --
Would a fast solo canoe keep up with sea kayaks better than a Tarpon 160? Looking for ease of effort at about 4-4.5 mph.
depends
on the fast solo. Should be no problem with an Advantage, Voyager , ClassicXL , Otegan etc. IF you go down to the under 16 footers then the motor of the yaks versus your power becomes a factor. In an all out sprint the yaks would get you, till they had to come back for the beer in your cooler…
solo canoe
I think I’m just following baldpaddler around the board tonight and trying to show that I’m smart by agreeing with everything he says.
I haven’t paddled a Tarpon, so have no idea what it is capable of. I did a 12.5 mile race last summer in my Voyager on a day when I felt like someone had sucked every last drop of energy out of me, and still managed to average 4.74 mph. The Voyager, Advantage, and Class XL are all pretty close speedwise. If baldpaddler says the Otegan is just as fast, that gives you four to choose from.
Canoe Beam?
I don’t know too much about canoes. I spent years in Grumans and an OT133 but I was not trying to keep up with sea kayaks. What would the beam on a solo canoe run?
Most SOTs can not keep up with sea kayaks because they are too wide. An SOT has a higher center of gravity than a sit inside and is therefore inherently less stable. Most manufacturers over compensate by making them about 28" wide to increase stability to a point where beginners are comfortable with them. That makes them much slower than a 23" sea kayak.
If you want an SOT that can keep up with sea kayaks you need one with about the same beam as a sea kayak, and that will be hard to find, expensive, and not very stable.
I have a couple myself. I have an 18’4" Shearwater with a 20" design waterline beam that is very tippy, and a 16’6" Revenge with a 24" beam that is not so tippy, but can still keep with most sea kayaks in that class.
The Tarpon can be a fast boat, it has plenty of waterline, if the boater is strong enough to propel it. I have noticed that lots of smaller folks say the Tarpon is slow, but big strong guys like Swedge can make it go plenty fast.
windage too is a big factor
when i moved to the coast i became aware of the power in wind, canoes can become useless if theres no protected shore. an sot would have a big advantage in a windy situation.
Coastal Boating
I see Redmond is from north Alabama so I assumed he mostly does freshwater. If we are talking about coastal boating this becomes a entirely different discussion.
Check out the…
Kruger designs and the Clipper Sea-1 canoes.
All reports indicate better performance than a kyak or sot, paddled with a single blade.
I agree these are “hybrids” and I have only paddled the Clipper model, but this class of canoe is definately my next purchase.
Personally I think sot’s are great if you are tooling in warm water in calm bays or possibly surfing… that type of stuff, but other than that…
HP
fred
Will c2g and Baldpaddler Answer
Please answer my question about the Otegan, Classic XL, Magic, and Peregrine (another string).
So, I’m a boat hog. I’m in luv with paddling GREAT boats.
Kruger Sea Wind
– Last Updated: Jan-08-04 6:29 PM EST –
Thee is a guy down here who wants to sell a very nice Kruger Sea Wind. Mick Wood actually helped to build it when he worked for Verlen Kruger. It is pretty pricy. He wants like $3,200 for it and he is firm on that. It has been for sale for over a year. Check the canoe classified under California. It is one of the few on the west coast.
Actually, SOTs were originally designed for the open ocean because they are easier to remount in rough sea and do not take on water. The Tsunami Rangers use them for the most extreme stuff
For fresh water, a canoe has lots of advantages over a kayak, either a sit inside or a SOT, but I would not take an open canoe on the ocean. They certainly do hold more beer.
Tarpon speed and other SOT benfits
13.2 mile race, 30 pound overwieght paddler, average speed 4.83 mph. (got me 13 of 20 in my class - the rest were in SINKS!)
6 mile race next day, average speed 4.83 mph (1st in SOTs).
See a tend in those numbers? Can you say “wall”?
I’ve held slightly better - near 5 mph over distances of a bit more than the longer race above on my Tarpon, but only once. Great workout day.
Tarpon speed/effort ranges for me:
4 mph - easy.
4.5 not too hard, probably my average pace.
4.75+ gotta work more for it.
5.0 - need to be able shut off pain receptors (at least on long hauls holding that speed steady). It’s a pretty easy sprint to 6+ mph.
Paddles of 10-20 miles, when in no particular rush but paddling to paddle, I’d average 4.3 for the trip (includes any stops). Same for the couple times I did 28 milers on it.
You solo canoe folks do 28 milers (NOT counting down river!)?
Also - a good SOT can handle a wider range of conditions. Tarpon is great offshore!
wasn’t sure what to say
You mentioned wanting something maneuverable, and I wasn’t sure how much maneuverability you wanted. I think I included a question to that effect in my post suggesting that you look at the Barracuda. If there is a canoe that you have paddled that has the type of maneuverability you are looking for you could mention which one it is, then we might be able to compare the boats we are talking about to the one you have in mind. Just a thought . . .
Thanks!
Thanks for all the input!
Thats why I am
leaning towards the Clipper… I can get a kevlar layup with mod’s for aprox 1800.00 American if I buy in Canada.
So thats the plan right now.
Thanks for the info on the Kruger, Cuda.
HP
fred