Seakayak advice

[Gareth Keane]

Hi there...

I have the chance to pick up a second-hand seakayak reasonably
cheaply, and was wondering if anyone could tell me anything
about the boat.

I haven't seen it yet, but have been told that it is an 'Iceflow'.
Does anybody know the manufacturer? How is it in terms of
primary and secondary stability? Does it track well? I've
only paddled seakayaks a handful of times, as almost all of my
paddling is white-water oriented, so what should I watch out
for in the boat?

Anyone have any advice?

Thanks in advance,

Gareth

[John Fereira]

In article <61imbc$j2q$1...@news.qub.ac.uk>, G.K...@ee.qub.ac.uk wrote:
>Hi there...
>
>I have the chance to pick up a second-hand seakayak reasonably
>cheaply, and was wondering if anyone could tell me anything
>about the boat.
>
>I haven't seen it yet, but have been told that it is an 'Iceflow'.
>Does anybody know the manufacturer? How is it in terms of
>primary and secondary stability? Does it track well? I've
>only paddled seakayaks a handful of times, as almost all of my
>paddling is white-water oriented, so what should I watch out
>for in the boat?

Take a look at Derek Hutchinson "The Complete Book of Sea
Kayaking". In it he describes the Ice Flow in detail.
The Ice Floe is a true expedition class sea kayak and is likely
to have lower initial stability but a good secondary stability. I
would assume that it tracks quite well. It probably would not
be the best choice for a beginning sea kayaker but if you can
get it for a good price it's likely a really nice boat.

There is a picture of one on
http://www.itadventure.se/forsaelj/svima/kajha-sv.html

The page is in Swedish but the pic isn't bad.

John Fereira
ja...@cornell.edu

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[John Baughman]

In article <61imbc$j2q$1...@news.qub.ac.uk>, G.K...@ee.qub.ac.uk (Gareth Keane) writes:
|> Hi there...
|>
|> I have the chance to pick up a second-hand seakayak reasonably
|> cheaply, and was wondering if anyone could tell me anything
|> about the boat.
|>
|> I haven't seen it yet, but have been told that it is an 'Iceflow'.
|> Does anybody know the manufacturer? How is it in terms of
|> primary and secondary stability? Does it track well? I've
|> only paddled seakayaks a handful of times, as almost all of my
|> paddling is white-water oriented, so what should I watch out
|> for in the boat?
|>

|> Anyone have any advice?
|>
|> Thanks in advance,
|>
|> Gareth
|>
|>
|>

I am not sure about this. I think the Iceflow was designed by Derek Hutchison, which means, I *assume*, that it was manufactured by P&H. I don't think the boat
is still being produced, but I could be wrong about that.
I'd check old issues of Sea Kayaker magazine and sea if it was reviewed. If not,
try going to P&H's web page, don't have the url, but you might find it with
a search. Ask 'em to point you to some third party reviews, or to somewhere you
might be able test paddle. Or, if possible, test paddle the boat you are considering buying, if it isn't too far away.
Best of luck.
regards
john baughman

--
john baughman jo...@cincinnati.sgi.com
sales rep-sgi 513-769-2943 fax 733-5810
"kayaks...butterflies of the sea"
Derek Hutchinson

[John Fereira]

In article <61m3ul$7mv$1...@murrow.corp.sgi.com>,

jo...@motor.cincinnati.sgi.com (John Baughman) wrote:
>In article <61imbc$j2q$1...@news.qub.ac.uk>, G.K...@ee.qub.ac.uk (Gareth
Keane) writes:
>|> Hi there...
>|>
>|> I have the chance to pick up a second-hand seakayak reasonably
>|> cheaply, and was wondering if anyone could tell me anything
>|> about the boat.
>|>
>|> I haven't seen it yet, but have been told that it is an 'Iceflow'.
>|> Does anybody know the manufacturer? How is it in terms of
>|> primary and secondary stability? Does it track well? I've
>|> only paddled seakayaks a handful of times, as almost all of my
>|> paddling is white-water oriented, so what should I watch out
>|> for in the boat?
>|>
>|> Anyone have any advice?
>|>
>|> Thanks in advance,
>|>
>|> Gareth
>|>
>|>
>|>
>
>I am not sure about this. I think the Iceflow was designed by Derek
Hutchison, which means, I *assume*, that it was manufactured by P&H. I don't
think the boat
>is still being produced, but I could be wrong about that.

A web page I looked at which listed the Ice Floe seemed to indicated
that someone else designed the boat in Hutchinson's book he claims
to have designed it.

He described the Ice Floe as "a fast, long-range, large volume
deep sea-expedition kayak, capable of withstanding severe conditions
found on the open ocean". I know that Hutchinson designed several
boats that were manufactured by P&H (Iona, Orion) but the book
seems to indicated that at least one boat (The Reiver) was designed
completely in the U.S. Does anyone know the manufacturer?

>I'd check old issues of Sea Kayaker magazine and sea if it was reviewed. If
not,
>try going to P&H's web page, don't have the url, but you might find it with
>a search.

http://www.phcompany.co.uk/phco/phsea.htm

The page *does* list the Ice Floe which would seem to indicated that
it is still being manufactured. The P&H page seems to have been
updated recently as it now shows the glass version of the Capella.

John Fereira
ja...@cornell.edu

[Dan Trotter]

The message <61qhga$7...@newsstand.cit.cornell.edu>
from ja...@cornell.edu (John Fereira) contains these words:

> In article <61m3ul$7mv$1...@murrow.corp.sgi.com>,
> jo...@motor.cincinnati.sgi.com (John Baughman) wrote:
> >In article <61imbc$j2q$1...@news.qub.ac.uk>, G.K...@ee.qub.ac.uk (Gareth
> Keane) writes:
> >|> Hi there...
> >|>
> >|> I have the chance to pick up a second-hand seakayak reasonably
> >|> cheaply, and was wondering if anyone could tell me anything
> >|> about the boat.
> >|>
> >|> I haven't seen it yet, but have been told that it is an 'Iceflow'.
> >|> Does anybody know the manufacturer? How is it in terms of
> >|> primary and secondary stability? Does it track well? I've
> >|> only paddled seakayaks a handful of times, as almost all of my
> >|> paddling is white-water oriented, so what should I watch out
> >|> for in the boat?
> >|>
> >|> Anyone have any advice?
> >|>

> He described the Ice Floe as "a fast, long-range, large volume
> deep sea-expedition kayak, capable of withstanding severe conditions
> found on the open ocean". I know that Hutchinson designed several
> boats that were manufactured by P&H (Iona, Orion) but the book
> seems to indicated that at least one boat (The Reiver) was designed
> completely in the U.S. Does anyone know the manufacturer?

The Reiver was reviewed in Sea Kayaker Feb 1996. The manufacturer was
given as Southern Exposure Sea Kayaks, PO Box 4530, Telquesta, FL
33469-9530 Phone (407) 575-4530.

btw the Iceflow is used by a number of paddlers in the UK and has
been used on a number of big trips in Alaska, Greenland etc. by
British and Australian expeditions. Its a big trip boat, good for big
paddlers with big loads. Very straight running but can still be
turned quickly by leaning it over and sweeping (bit of practice needed here).

I have a 'Fiord' which was designed by Derek Hutchison based on the
Iceflow but made more manouvreable and fitted with a drop skeg for
variable directional stability. The Fiord, and I think also the
Iceflow, can feel a bit tippy when empty, but they give a secure and
lively ride when loaded up. They stay dryer in a steep chop than
boats like the Nordcapp, and they seem just as fast imo.

DT