C-Forum

Hello all,
I have not been on the river since the Lugbill/Hearn days. Paddled K1 exclusively all over the Appalachians. Mainly class three to five at the time. Upper yough, Big Sandy etc... Now I live in So Cal and have an interest in getting back on the river. The Kern is probably the closest reliable river to me. Anyhow, I have an old Eddyline Kevlar slalom kayak that I want to convert to a C1. What features of this boat would tell me if it would convert well? I did some reading here before posting but did not see any slalom conversions.

Thanks in advance!
Monk

Width and cockpit size are the most important. If it's too narrow you're not going to feel comfortable in the boat, and if you can't get your knees to the outside of the boat when in it likewise you'll feel less stable... and likely be less comfortable. Compare the width to some slalom C1's (actually width, not including any wings), or just try and kneel in it and see how it goes.

Slalom C1's (especially older ones) can generally be found pretty cheaply (300-400 for one in good condition with perhaps one minor patch in my experience), at least on the east coast. As such there aren't many folks that convert them.

In general, slalom kayaks don't convert well. The hulls tend to be too rounded where C1s carry their flatness well into the bow. The other factor is the width. Too narrow to meet even the late specs.

Narrow is better! We sacrifice a lot of performance with the choice of a wide boat. Go for it with this conversion and see what you think. one of my favorite boats to paddle is an old (1979 i think) converted slalom k-1, with a full volume stern. it is very narrow and has a rounded hull. The narrow width makes it much faster than any other c-1 I've ever paddled (except the wildwater designs). It is a tight fit, but the saddle is tall enough to allow a fairly comfortable leg/knee position. Mine is paper thin, and the seams are splitting. If I had a more durable version of this thing, it would be my primary boat.

I don't know if this link will go through, but its a shot of the outfitting in Martikan's c-1, which is really a k-1, from what I understand. It may give you some ideas. After reading JFD's post, I'm tempted to convert the old Seda Climax slalom k-1 I use for attaining...edg

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... =1&theater

you could always do the opposite and widen it... shorten it too.
http://vimeo.com/16696926

http://www.vajdagroup.com/products/slal ... artikan-ii

Martikan's New boat! too narrow to put a c1 cockpit on...

griffen_williams wrote:http://www.vajdagroup.com/products/slal ... artikan-ii

Martikan's New boat! too narrow to put a c1 cockpit on...

plenty of rocker though...

A few pics:
http://imageshack.us/g/847/dsc00387ov.jpg/

Very light kevlar construction.

Thanks for the responses.
Monk

Looks like a wicked fast down river boat. Just keep it moving to keep it stable...

I agree with Jack that you could make that boat work for you. Its width is probably equal to what current slalom c-1's are now. The bottom line is how tippy you are in the boat. I would not do well with that kind of "skinny" boat as I need to be pretty low to be stable. Someone like our much "beloved" Mike W. can get away with more height and have great stability. You will need to retool the coaming so you can get in and out safely and to get your knees to spread. Have fun with your project.

Welcome back to the wonderful world of boating, congratulations on joining the "right" side, and thanks for joining us on cboats.

Take a look at the weight range on Martikan's skinny boat before you leap,
M 135-154#
L 155-175#

Also be sure you like bat wings for legal width. 8-}

KNeal wrote: Someone like our much "beloved" Mike W. can get away with more height and have great stability.

LOL! I don't have great stability, I have a great roll!