I bought an Aquanaut RM LV fall as a trip boat. Good boat, perfect fit, I’m 180/5.11 + 40 lbs of stuff. Now that the Valley web site is finally almost up. I see that I will be at or very near max weight for this boat. Ok, I bought the wrong boat. But for the same boat in HV the min. weight is 180. So what to trade off. I’ll have a great day boat that can be marginally loaded or I get a lousy day boat that I can take lawn furniture in.
I already have a great day boat, Romany and A great but easily scared freighter Pygmy Coho. What I want is a reasonably performing plastic trip boat. Hmmm what to do.
I wrote valley, but no reply.
Tom
Tripping boat
Load your boat and gear and paddle it, I’ve had friends that out weight you that have the black line under water and get along OK on trips, that’s carrying water,food and camping gear for a week.
Tom, I own an Aquanaut LV RM and it is
hands down best value I have ever purchased in kayaking. I owned and paddled more boats than you can imagine. I love this boat for its all around capability. Acceptable speed, great stability, excellent/amazing rolling boat, great off wind/wave performance. It is my go to boat when conditions get ugly. Also great for pool work and group rescues as it is indestructable.
Now to the point- I am 6’3" 240lbs and rountinely load 25 lbs of gear in the boat. At your weight I don’t think you should have a problem loading 85lbs of gear in the boat, let alone your stated 40 lbs of stuff. Load it and use it and see how you handle the set up. I had similar questions regarding my Nordkapp and my post on the issue basically ended in load it and see. I started paddling the boat at a weight of 255lbs and last summer at 235lbs. I am currently closer to the former than the later, whoops 
My Aquanaut LV RM will be the last boat I ever sell, I wish I could mold it and make it in Carbon Kevlar as the composite versions of the boat are nothing like the RM versions. Good Luck and load that sucker up. Bill
I
am way over on my Nordkapp LV when fully packed and it works fine. It has the exact same load graph as your boat and I out weigh you by 25 lbs. Forget about that graphic. Have fun.
Load your boat and gear and paddle it
The load graphs are guidelines and are not hard and fast. Go ahead and load your boat and see how it paddles.
Who needs freeboard anyway 
freeboard??
Love it, this is clearly an anti freeboard group. I have a Yost boat with a wet stern deck.
Thank you all for your input. I’m load’n and go’n to Beaver Island at the end of May. I’ll let you know if your right, I may not if your wrong ;).
Tom
Beaver Island? Like Lake Michigan
Beaver Island? If so, what are you plans? Doing the Manitous this August, and have been to Waugashaunce (sp?) a couple of times, but never to Beaver. Where are you leaving from? That is about a twenty mile crossing from Good Heart ins’t it? Bill
Less Freeboard
only means you won’t be as affected by the wind.
You’re still in the ideal load range
The weigh range listed by Valley is the ideal range, which goes considerably above your proposed load.
http://www.valleyseakayaks.com/boats/polyethylene
Beaver Isle MI
Bill, were going to take the ferry out. People do paddle out, but not me. There’s a lot of water between all the islands. I’ve been to the Manitou’s and had to sit out a couple of days waiting to get back. Even the ferry cuts service. The crux of the whole area is very deep and very shallow water. The deep rolls and swells in the wind, the shallow chops and breaks on my head… Thanks again for the input.
Tom
Paddler weight?
– Last Updated: Apr-12-10 12:34 AM EST –
I always assumed looking at valleys ideal weight graph is that it was ideal weight for the paddler, not paddler + gear, not sure if that is right or not, just made sense as some manufacturers post an ideal paddler weight
As a comparison, i paddle a Necky Chatham, which is about the same length, slightly narrower, and from what i can tell lower volume, and it paddles fine with me in it (6'2" 215 lbs) so i imagine an aquanaut with you and 40 pounds of gear would paddle fine.
If someone wants to lend me their boat for a few weeks i can give you a full run down of how it handles for me :)
Total load
– Last Updated: Apr-12-10 5:46 PM EST –
I think Valley's weight graph is for total load.
It is quite a range for many of the boats. I frequently paddle both a standard Aquanaut and a Nordkapp LV. The middle of the graph for the Aquanaut is 20 pounds more than the Nordlow. Both have paddled fine for me, though the Aquanaut is more of a gear hauler. I'm 185 and often paddle with a full 4* kit - extra water, food, gear for repair and rescues, etc...
The graph for the Nordlow is the same as for an RM Aquanaut LV. This photo is me in the Nordlow carrying full kit.
reglass the Coho
How did you build yours? I made one with 4oz s-glass with one doubled portion under the center hull panels. After a few years the dings started showing through where there was only 4oz on both sides so I reglassed the entire exterior of the hull with another layer of 4oz s-glass. Added about 3 lbs and made the hull a lot tougher.
If you’re feeling brave you could redo the coaming with a recess forward. Painting the hull with tinted fill coats and matching white paint the scrapes will be less noticeable.