C-Forum

Alden:

I'm still awaiting delivery, last I heard the expected date is around April 24 so not much longer. The boat has to reach Seattle and then get shipped back to me, I think they are planning on using Forward Air.

Don

Good morning all. Been incognito for a couple of weeks. I see that Don is expecting a new FINK at the end of the month. Don, where abouts in Mass. are you located? I am in Western CT(Howabout those U-Conn Huskies!) and sure would like to meet you when you get your boat. I travel up to the Deerfield throughout the season, but would meet you anywhere to sit in that thing. I am ready to get a new boat but have been procrastinating, waiting for someone in New England to get a Fink. Maybe Alden would be interested in the same arrangement. Happy Trails, Rod

Hi Rod,

I live in Chicopee (Springfield area) and boat the Deerfield Dryway quite a bit so we could get together there. Depending on water and how well I adapt to the boat I hope to get on some creeks and things like the Bottom Moose, although those might not be ideal demo spots.

You could also come by my place for a flatwater demo or meet somewhere like T'ville, Millers, Lower Ash etc.

Don

Sounds good to me. I would like to try it on flatwater first. Just keep us posted on its arrival. What other kinds of water craft do you tool around in? I may have even seen you up on the Deerfield. And Springfield is on the way. Maybe 1 1/2 hrs. for me. How far are you from T'ville?
Also, Collinsville Canoe and Kayak is having their annual spring sale and demo weekend on the Farmington river, April 24,25. Not much in the WW OC-1 category, but should have many of the latest and greatest YAKS if someone wants to look at for conversion.
Alden, you out there? Maybe we can work it out with Don for a demo in Springfield area with Don. !/2 way for both of us.
ROD

Adam, can you put up a map of the US and/or world so the location of Finkenmeisters can be plotted?

Or wait, do it for all registered C-1ers on this site, that might be interesting...

Rod

I'm usually in a blue/purple Atom, for creeking I use a red/black/white Cascade. T'ville is only around 40 minutes from me.

hey don,
speaking of getting together, I was thinking maybe some of us NE c-1s could get together for a mini "armada" on the WB Deerfield sometime. I bet if I made some calls I could get at least four or five of us (although most of you fools would be in Cascades!)

Or Finks??

Alden

Pauley Creek, a steepish (150 fpm) low volume (200 cfs), Class IV+ tributary of the North Fork Yuba was alot of fun this past weekend. The Fink felt stable and predictable. Lowering the seat another 1/2 inch to 7" total height (plastic hull to top of seat) is good for me. No need to go any lower.

I learned something new about the boat. Don't hit subsurface rocks at an angle. The hard chines catch and you get bounced violently. If you hit the rocks front-on, the boat glides gently over them. I suppose this should be obvious looking at the bottom of the Fink, but I got a little spoiled in the Cascade, which was kinder and gentler to the lazy paddler moving through a bony rapid.

Oh, the big hip braces are very comfortable shoulder pads when you're carrying the boat a ways to the river .

SYOTR,
Bruce

Bruce, was that upper pauley?

Hi Larry,
It was the Lower Pauley. You would have liked it.
SYOTR,
Bruce

Bruce - I know what you mean about the Fink's edges grabbing rocks - that happened to me a few times on an after-work run this evening. After reading posts from you and Martin (sorry about your shoulder Martin...down time is a huge bummer), I took about an inch off my seat height. That really improved the stability - the boat performs great, and rolling is much easier. My feet went numb after awhile (which didn't happen with the higher saddle), but that's a small price to pay for the improvement in performance. I can't wait to get it on something a little steeper and lower volume to see how it handles the technical stuff.

Yep. It's Finkenmeister review time .

I had my Fink out on Lavezola Creek, a tributary of the North Fork Yuba. It runs just over the divide from Pauley Creek. Lavezola is similar to Pauley Creek, small (200 cfs) and technical with some steep multi-tiered drops.
The run was 4 miles of great fun. I was off line two or three times as I recall and had two rolls. Not bad altogether.
I had some performance features of the Fink driven home. They are:
1) The Fink must be very actively paddled, even in moderate water. Your thighs must be flexing inside the boat at all times in moderate to difficult technical whitewater. Passivity creates trouble in this boat. You can get away with passivity in moderate technical water in a Cascade, but not so much in the Fink. Stability of the Fink depends on how well you posture and direct the boat with your thighs. Forget this and you might be over more than you like. Of course, this is also true with smaller Cl conversions and squirt C1's.
2) It is a great boofer !
3) It punches holes really well. The tail is NOT getting grabbed! I have moved myself 2 and 1/4 inches forward in the seat to position my weight forward (Martin had suggested this), and the low volume tail is not a problem, but an asset.
4) Primary stability remains a weakness in the boat design, in my opinion. I regret the inability to spread my knees wider in this boat to take full advantage of the 28 inch total width of the Fink. This would have allowed me exceptional stability due to wide interaction of knees and thighs with the boat.
5) The excellent secondary stability will give you enough time to use that low brace, stay upright and in control, when necessary.

Hope this is helpful.

SYOTR,
Bruce

any pictures of the Fink in action that you could post on here?