This Zealot thats for sale...

[bearboater]

I have been getting a heightened interest in C-1 Slalom boats for a while, since im trying to sell my open boat, ive got a slot to fill with a race C-1 possibly. but my question lies in the matter of would it support a big person like me who is about 215 and 6'2". I read a post by someone to Sir Adam that a Full cut would do well for someone in the 200 range, would it also go farther than that, or am i wasting my time on a boat that wouldnt support me.
any soon response would be appreciated boats on ebay as well,
cheers
-isaac

[Alan B]

Hey Isaac,
You might try contacting League of the Northwest Whitewater racer's website for info on new and used boats. We should try to hit some of the Northwest Cup races next Spring. There may be still one or two in the schedule this fall but I am not sure. I assume you are in Bozeman but wondered if you can boat this weekend on the Gorge. I may go either Sat. or Sun. Give me a call if you are interested....
Alan

[John Coraor]

Issac:

I'm an old school slalom C-boater who recently came out of a 20-year retirement when my kids showed an interest in the sport. Because, at 195-205 lbs (50-60 lbs over my racing weight), I felt a little too heavy to still paddle my old Batmax C-1, I bought a used Zealot. It was definitely the right move. Other than going back to an even older "full-width" slalom boat like the Cudamax (which I already had), the Zealot has the most volume (particularly in the bow, where you need it) of any of the more recent (as in 90s or later) slalom C-1s.

I've seen the e-bay post, and based on what you can see in the photos, the boat appears to be in reasonable shape and available at a fair price (I paid $400 for mine + shipping [about another $80], although it might be in a little better shape than the one currently available [hard to tell from the photos]).

Your post doesn't indicate your degree of experience in either C-1s (as opposed to OC-1) or in other slalom boats. If you haven't paddled C-1 much, and a slalom boat in particular, you will find the transition to be interesting. Coming from open boat, a slalom C-1 will seem quite edgey, but once mastered they can be great fun!

At your weight, your slalom C-1 options are limited. The Dynamic (or the cut-down version, which is sold as the Super Dynamic), is the Davey Hearn design contemporaneous with the Zealot and has almost the same amount of volume. If you saw a Dynamic for sale at a lower price or closer location, you could consider going for that (but I haven't seen one posted lately). If you want a "full width" slalom C-1 (without the wings that were introduced with the Batmax to shave about 5 centimeters off the hull while staying race legal), the Cudamax would be your best bet, but won't be as fast or manuverable on the course as a Zealot or Dynamic. Frankly, although the Cudamax is a wider boat and thus has more primary stability, its bow is actually thinner than both of the later boats and with a heavier paddler would probably bury in holes more readily.

I have little doubt that the Zealot has enough volume for you to paddle it. If you are a confident and aggresive paddler, it would definitely serve you better than the Cudamax and would be (was) my choice.

Slalom C-1s don't become available terribly often. Other than using this message board, you could contact Davey Hearn through his web site: www.daveyhearn.com, to see if he has any used boats on consignment. However, barring something else comparable being available through Davey, I would go for it!

John

[John Coraor]

Issac:

Arranging for transportation of a boat in Georgia (or DC if you get a boat from Davey) to Montana is a whole other topic! You might want to search on this site for an earlier thread about "Air Forward" and other air frieght companies whose services have been used to ship boats.

John

[PAC]

Issac
This Zealot is up for sale in GA and I'm sure it can find a ride since G-Fest is next week....
http://cgi.ebay.com/Dagger-Zealot-Slalo ... dZViewItem
Good luck!

[bearboater]

I have had a little bit of experience in a C-1 i own a finki, and thats about all i paddle now, and that is a pretty edgy boat, so i think that i could handle a transition to an edgier c-1 with some practice. My slalom experience is limited, i have done 2 races, one on the blackfoot, in montana, the other on the St. Louis in Minnesota being the age group championship. where my time got demolished by the 12 and 13 year olds from the NRC. I know my options are limited, so when i found the old threads discussing this boat i b ecame excited that there might be a big boy C-1 out there for me.

I had thought about the transportation, and trying to work in a paddling trip in a little while to go pick it up, and paddle on the way there and back. Im not sure, i talked to the seller, and he seemed like he would work with me to package the boat for transportation via air porward, or some other means of travel. Im still a little unsure what to do because i havent paddled any slalom C-1s.
cheers
-isaac

[John Coraor]

Issac:

It sounds to me like a transition to a Zealot would not be that big a deal for you. I was envisioning a transition from open boat to a slalom C-1, which would be much tougher, but still worth it!

I would go for it if the price is right for you. Air Forward or some other air freight shipper may be the way to go, but don't dismiss the suggestion made by PAC about arranging for a ride via the Gauley Fest. I'm willing to bet that someone will be heading to the Fest from Georgia that could bring the boat there. The question is whether you or anyone else would be heading back to Montana from there. You never know.

I bought my oldest son a used Galasport Jungle Midi (slalom C-1) from Davey Hearn earlier this year and within one week using this message board had arranged for someone to bring it from DC to the annual C-1 Armada on the North Branch of the Potomac and someone else to bring it from there to a slalom race in New England that I was attending the next weekend. An amazingly fast delivery and at no cost!!!

Either way regarding shipping, if you want a slalom C-1 you should go for it. I'm biased, as I still cruise in my slalom boat, but slalom is great fun!

John

[billcanoes]

If the boat can get a ride to CHarlotte I can bring it to Gauley- Unfortunately, I cant help with meeting for the boat from GA to NC- We are on a vacation block out at work for the next 2 weeks.

Bill
billcanoes@yahoo.com

[bearboater]

hypothetically speaking, what would an air freight cost be of transporting a boat like this? I tihnk i will work out the total costs, before i make up my mind. are there more companies to consider before settling with air forward?
cheers
-isaac

[ezwater]

Speaking as a candidate for world's worst slalom racer, I can say that the Zealot is relatively forgiving and not particularly edgy. If you check the C1 Race Boats listing on this page, you will note that lighter paddlers find the stern catchy. This is because lighter paddlers need to lean forward to keep the bow engaged. A heavier paddler like me has more thigh weight forward of the seat (as well as more gut weight), and so the stern does not feel edgy.

Adam Clawson (who sold his first Zealot to me) was perhaps 185 to 190 pounds when racing, and he felt the boat had more carrying capacity. When I was in my halcyon days of citizen racing, I weighed about 205 pounds and the boat was pretty spunky. I am now closer to 220, and the boat still handles decently, though it feels a bit weighed down. One can always lose weight....

[John Coraor]

Issac:

I got the name of the freight company reversed; it was Forward Air, not Air Forward. The seller estimated shipping cost, including the cost of a ton a bubble wrap in which he wrapped the boat, to be $100 from Pittsburgh, PA to JFK outside NYC. It actually turned out to be something like $80 and he refunded the difference.

However, I've heard of people getting better deals. Following is a link to some advice on shipping from an earlier thread on this board:
http://cboats.net/cforum/viewtopic.php? ... ht=freight

I think the boat would be a good choice for you. Best wishes.

John

[bearboater]

I looked at the thread shortly after i wrote a reply, and then checked those companies, and it seems that forward air was like 600 bucks, and i called them and they wont. I tried DHL they wont, sports express wont ship slalom boats cause theyre too long, the only one that would is DNA freight. at about 150 from atlanta to Salt Lake, or 200 to here.
choices, choices, but now ive got another bidder to contend to
cheers.
-isaac

[bearboater]

this zealot is no longer for sale.
soon it will make it's transcontinental journey to me. :lol:
there will be alot of questions in the near future
cheers
-isaac

[billcanoes]

Did you win/buy the boat?

[bearboater]

you bet i did,
i noticed you placed a couple of bids.
this will be the beginning of the slalom era of my padddling career.
cheers
-isaac