C-Forum

I was looking at some of the sweet sea kayaks that are out there, and suddenly pondered the idea of a Sea-boat? I'm more of a kayaker than c-boater, but was wondering if anyone has ever converted a sea kayak to Sea-boat. Is it practical? Would someone like to give it a try and send me the pictures?

Just a thought.

-J

http://www.clippercanoes.com/boat_specs ... del_id=126

http://www.krugercanoes.com/prod02.htm

http://www.bellcanoe.com/products/defau ... uct&id=589

None of those are quite seakayaks. All are designed around a sitting rather than a kneeling paddler.

I put a saddle from a Gyramax into a Current Designs Solstice for a short time. It was quite tender and very uncomfortable.

I am currently paddling a Wenonah Voyager modified for kneeling. I'm thinking about cutting down the shear and decking that. But I keep hoping to find something just as quick but looser in the bow.

There is a dude in the Adirondacks who paddles a converted sea kayak as a C1... i think his name is Steve.

From an historical perspective many sea kayaks were cboats. The current crop of commercial boats came out of the double bladed greenland tradition, but many Aleutian boats were paddle C1 or mixed C1 and double blade.



http://www.arctickayaks.com/Plans/Plans ... aRTW-1.htm

http://www.traditionalkayaks.com/Kayakr ... 82719.html

http://www.traditionalkayaks.com/Kayakr ... 60327.html

There are sea kayaks that would probably have enough stability for single blading. Many manufactures have those models that are in between the narrow high performance and the really wide rec boats. Delta kayaks, Impex, Wilderness systems, Old Town etc. have possibilities. Widths from 24" to 26" in the short time I looked into it. Paddling dot net in their kayaking section can point the way. Before I was introduced to whitewater canoeing I built a Pygmy boats Coho. If you want to build your own they have some candidates also

Interesting historical perspective. When I was thinking about it I guess I had envisioned a pedestal that you could set up with a rudder and all, manipulating the footpegs and hooking them up to a rudder. Maybe a project for the person that has run out of projects.

http://www.huki.com/index.php?page=V1-A

lets not forget about outriggers

Paddler wrote:Interesting historical perspective. When I was thinking about it I guess I had envisioned a pedestal that you could set up with a rudder and all, manipulating the footpegs and hooking them up to a rudder. Maybe a project for the person that has run out of projects.

Like gas pedals mounted where footpegs would go on the saddle? In my mind I'm having a hard time keeping my feet on those. But I'd love to try it.

My thinking is to use a hull that does not need a rudder. Boats like Bell's Magic or Merlin II, Hemlock's Perigrine, and Wenonah's Voyager all seem like reasonable candidates. Cut down the shear to reduce windage, add a full deck with hatch's and bulkheads.
Putting a saddle in a Bell RobRoy might be smarter. There's a guy in Florida that did that I think. I'd still want to finish the deck.
Some discusion on kneeling in a RobRoy here.
http://www.paddling.net/message/showPri ... tid=989787

I picked up a boat this summer from an outfitter that was cleaning house - this one had been at a "river outpost" and probably not understood or appreciated as it was labelled a "kayak"... It looked like it had hardly been paddled but had been dropped and the rudder is busted off. It's a Sawyer and appears to be the "expedition" model here :

http://www.superiorcanoes.com/solocanoes.html

I've only had a chance to get it out once - it's designed for seated paddling, but with the seat all the way up, I can kneel. But, with the seat all the way up, it's pretty tippy to paddle seated. Switching back and forth while underway will take some getting used to... It's fast but you can see why it came with a rudder...

If I was going to use this for serious open water paddling, I'd have to come up with a spray deck and outfit it for rolling.

I'd love a c-boat that handles like my sea kayak - a Greenland style that while it has a retractable skeg, I don't use it often at all.

sbroam wrote: It looked like it had hardly been paddled but had been dropped and the rudder is busted off. It's a Sawyer and appears to be the "expedition" model here :

http://www.superiorcanoes.com/solocanoes.html

Maybe the Sawyer Loon?
http://home.comcast.net/~mcclainmark/mmcbs/loon.html

That's an earlier Verlen Kruger hull. My understanding is that the owner of Superior worked for Kruger before going out on his own and the "Expedition" is his update on the Kruger Seawind which is the open cockpit version of the Dreamcatcher.

That's almost certainly it. Kevlar. Something like 48#.

Just a little info on the Sawyer Loon:

Was designed for a trip paddling around South America. Also used on a trip paddling UP the Grand Canyon. Lots of history in that design. I have one with the stock 4-way seat, and another retrofitted with a We-no-nah sliding pedestal. Not really a kneeling boat, designed for sit and switch.

The sprayskirt that fits on the boat is rather spooky to use. Lots of fabric to wrap around you if you swim. Splash decks from rec-kayaks work well, keeps the middle open but seals up front and rear.

IMO it was the best of the Krugers. The Seawind gets all the press, but the Loon is faster and more responsive.

Being a sea kayak guide and whitewater canoeist, I've been thinking about a sea canoe for a while. I also thought about converting a sea kayak, but I think most of them would make miserable cboats... Either stable and too slow or fast/fun tippy as all hades. There are a few designs I've been thinking of that would be (hopefully) stable, playful enough to surf, good for tripping, and of course safe on the ocean or other open water. Hopefully I'll get the chance to build one soon and see how my ideas work.

And to TommyC1, I've always felt the solstice/storm is a miserable kayak, I can imagine how much fun it wasn't as a C1...

The Loon and Krugers look great and a great way to travel. Over extreme distances they who they are say that the canoeist's body holds up better.
Any time I have paddled a sea-kayak I have used a short bent shaft canoe paddle. Sure great to have foot stearing. Nice to see there is an option to the Kruger with Superior. I did a shuttle for Verlen for his 80 birthday when he had a group of Kruger Canoe folks canoe the Yukon River.
Interesting man.

For those interested in conversions there is a women from Alaska that has a converted SeaKayak to a rowing yak and has done huge tours, I think her book is called Rowing to Latitude.

TNbound wrote:
And to TommyC1, I've always felt the solstice/storm is a miserable kayak, I can imagine how much fun it wasn't as a C1...

The Solstice was a good first kayak for me. Beamy(23") and stable with pretty good cruising speed. But it did not respond to leans. It tended to broach in following seas and get stuck in wavetroughs unless you used the rudder.
I think it was the round cross section that made it uncomfortable as a C1. No way to spread my knees. Even if that had worked better I suspect the need for the rudder would have frustrated me no end.
I later had a CD Caribou. That was a FUN responsive boat with no need for a rudder. The hard chines make me womder if that shape might be easier on the knees. But I don't think I'm capable of C1ing a 21" wide hull so when sitting became too painful I sold it.