Boat trim
Boat trim is a significant factor in sea kayaks.
Paddling out to to Eastern Egg Rock a few years ago, I loaded my Aquanaut slightly bow heavy and had an easy time paddling out into the incoming tidal current. Unfortunately, I neglected to shift trhe weight for the paddle back and had a tough time keeping the boat on course in following seas and wind. I had exactly the opposite problem one day with my Romany.
So, now I try to be very conscious of how I load a boat and the effect on handle. So even when there are no particular conditions, I load the Aquanaut slightly stern heavy and the Romany slightly bow heavy.
Day hatch use
You can pack it pretty full, but it is more practical to use if you put your day hatch stuff into small coated nylon drybags and label them. Makes it a lot easier to pull stuff out. One bag in my hatch has lights, another has spare gloves, that kind of thing.
partially true
– Last Updated: Sep-26-07 10:47 AM EST –
but you have to maintain sufficient forward speed like Flatpick said or the bow will pivot downwind off the rudder. There's no way around leverage, if the boat is very long it presents too much leverage to fight against. Which is where 16' boats sunk deeper in the water start making a lot of sense, although slower in flat low wind conditions.
I've paddled more maneuverable kayaks next to folks in Solstices in high winds. The Solstice paddler doesn't have as many options in confined situations as they get blown sideways, while the more manerable kayak can slide sideways more quickly they can also point higher while paddling forward. Not intending on slamming the Solstice just echoing Saltys comment that an emphasis on attributes in one area inevitably result in deficits elsewhere.
agree
My two favorite kayaks are opposite in rocker/tracking. The OI is a fast straight tracking boat and the Black Pearl has a lot of rocker and is incredibly responsive and surprising fast. Interesting as speed increases, water moves up the stems and tracking improves. Nevertheless, on very long paddles the amount of effort that goes into correcting strokes with the OI is much lower, but in confused seas the BP is way more fun. I don’t think the OI is all that problematic really–mostly it is a matter of using the wave crest and getting it on its edge. If I could only have one boat and did mostly day paddles it would be a Romany (bought of the dealer floor so I could see it before buying)–best compromise–but I like the speciality niche approach in part because it is just neat to have a bunch of kayaks that do different things.
wood versus composite OI
I have heard a couple of times that the tracking on the composite OI is harder than the wood version specifically because the composite has to dip down lower due to the skeg that Impex put in. speaking to several OI owners that have the wood boats, the general comments are that the boat is more responsive without that “dip”
Personally, I have used the skeg on my OI about as many times as I have fingers on one hand and that is in two years so I wonder if this is just a decision that Impex made to help sell boats? Anyway, I like this boat so much that I am going to build a wood version.
If I was to compare, the OI does need a more aggressive lean and follow through to turn it but as stated before, this is much easier at the top of a wave or swell…just got to put your ear in the water every once in a while is all.
Paul
Sales appeal
As far as selling traits it’s usually in this order.
Seat / cockpit comfort (most important)
Initial stability
Turning ability
If the seat hurts - no sale
If it’s tippy (to them) - no sale
Most glass boats are sold to former rec boat users and ocassional plastic kayak upgrades. Usually very little or no skills and they want to turn it with a simple paddle stroke.
Hull speed and efficiency appeals to the kayaker with some experience. And seasoned kayakers think nothing of ripping out a seat if they like the hull.