How easy/fun is it to solo paddle a 2-person folding kayak?
Terry Alford
a 2-person folding kayak, such as a Klepper Aerius-II or Feathercraft
Klondike, by just one person? -- especially for long periods and in
rough wind/wave open water conditions. I'm sure it can be done, but
would it be enjoyable?
Next Spring/Summer I plan to take a sabbatical and would like to solo
paddle (maybe also use a sail when conditions permit) a multi-month trip
down the length of Lake Champlain, Hudson River, and portions of the New
England/Canada coast (looping back around towards Lake Champlain).
Would it be reasonable to attempt this solo in an Aerius II or a
Klondike, or would a full-sized single (Aerius I or K-1) be preferable?
(0ne reason for considering a double, is so that my fiancee could join
me for short stretches of the trip from time to time.)
Comments anyone?
Daniel Gatti
though. And I usually paddle skinny little boats. So I felt like I was on
the Queen Elizabeth. But I've seen bigger guys paddle double folding boats
loaded with gear in the ocean and do OK. And I think that Hans Lindeman
crossed the Atlantic in a Klepper in the 1950, so they should be seaworthy.
But I don't think that it would be *fun* unless you are pretty big.
Dan
Mitch
I've paddled a Feathercraft Expedition K2 solo, and it's a lot of boat! I've
left my wife on shore to do a little fishing in a protected bay, and found I
was OK if I put some weight (H20 bags) in the bow cockpit.
As the K2 is over 19 feet long, the wind tends to swing the bow off course
unless weighted. You also tend to catch the wind less if you put a cockpit
cover on the unused bow cockpit.
While I prefer the Feathercraft above the Klepper, I think you would be
better off single handing the Aerius-2. I haven't been impressed with the
Klondike as an expedition model, but it looks fine for lakes & rivers......
--
Mitch Rosenberg
Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
m...@istar.ca
Terry Alford <tal...@mitre.org> wrote in message
news:379F841...@mitre.org...
douglasmurray
have modified my aerius II for solo paddling and while ok, it is a lot of
boat. you would not easily confuse it with a single sea kayak in terms of
responsiveness. it is easy to switch between single and double paddle
configurations and the aerius II has enough capacity to carry anything you
might need. check with the klepper service center (on the web) regarding a
custom spray deck to meet your needs. a double, properly loaded, is
unbelievably seaworthy and has a wide margin of safety when encountering
unexpected rough seas or barge wakes in restricted waterways. i've slept
in the aerius II (afloat) by putting life cushions (the slightly "oversized,
not square" ones) between the ribs (about 3 or 4 will do it). this is
something you probably could not do with a single. the balough sail design
batwing (32 sq ft) for the aerius II is a wonderful sail rig and works fine
solo. not only knocks off the miles with no effort, but is an entertaining
alternative to paddling after awhile. gives your tendonitis time to clear
up! the major problem may be the desire to carry too much junk in such a
large boat and, if you need to portage, this will be a heavy rig. i
recommend klepper's boat cart or something similar. bring a steel cable and
padlock to secure the boat and consider having a custom cockpit cover,
secured with steel cable and padlock to the deck "D" rings, made with no
openings to act as a security cover. sure, anyone who really wanted in
could simply cut in with a pocket knife, but this acts as a significant
psychological deterrent to the casual juvenile delinquent.
sounds like a great trip. keep us posted.
doug m
Mitch
It paddles better than the Feathercraft Expedition K2 as you can center the
seat, but the materials & construction of the Klondike are not the same
caliber as the K2.
I've been down to Feathercraft (5 minutes from my place), and I've seen the
Klondike from it's early "beta" versions, to the model that is now shipping.
The Klondike is a fine craft, but as is the case with many hybrid products,
it can be versatile, while still not excelling in any particular area. I
have no doubts that a single paddler would handle it better than one person
in the K2. I have a Feathercraft Expedition K1 for my single, and have had a
K-Light Plus in the past (a bit flimsy, and not suitable for extended
trips).
It really depends on ones needs. My wife & I go out for a few weeks at a
time in our Feathercraft Expedition K2, and we try to go to more remote
areas, where we don't see other paddlers. We wanted the durability of the
design, the closed deck (as opposed to the Klondike or Klepper open deck),
as well as speed and excellent handling.
If you are close to a dealer who carries both models, rent each for a
weekend, and see which one suites your needs better.
It's a fair bit of cash to plunk down for a 'yak, so take your time in
comparing boats for paddling, comfort, durability, and ease of
assembly/disassembly.
As I'm sure you have heard from others... Buy Ralph Diaz's "Complete
Folding Kayaker"
........... Mitch
----- Original Message -----
From: Terry Alford <tal...@mitre.org>
To: <m...@istar.ca>
Sent: Saturday, July 31, 1999 11:08 AM
Subject: Re: How easy/fun is it to solo paddle a 2-person folding kayak?
> Mitch,
> Thanks for responding to my rec.boats.paddle.touring post.
> Could you elaborate as to what concerns you about the Klondike for use
> as a solo expedition boat?
>
> ---Terry---