C-Forum

anyone has converted and really liked. I have an old WS Frankenstein that I am thinking about converting just for fun but it is only 23.5" wide.

I converted a Perception Pirouette SS, just quickie temporary outfitting to see how it would work. Wasn't too bad, rolled pretty easy. Saddle was about 5" if I recall. I think that boat was in the 23" range.

I paddled a converted corsica s down the upper yough 5 or 6 times, great fun. Easy to keep up right really, and rolled really easy. Its 24inches wide and pretty darn fast for plastic. I think my saddle was in the 5-6 inches range.

A buddy has been paddling a converted Necky Rip for years. It's 9'2" long by 23.6" wide. He does everything in this boat. For me, it's scary in flatwater, but amazing on a surf wave. It'll surf anything.

I learnt to paddle c1 in a converted QK Bandit - 24.8 inches wide (but probably quite a lot less in the water as it has a really round hull and I'm too light for it.) I loved it, but everyone else I knew hated it (they were all buttboaters.) For a beginner, probably a really bad choice. For a confident c1er, a skinny boat is a lot of fun and generally really easy to roll. I liked the Bandit a lot better than my wider boats when I was getting a beatdown - it seemed easier to manoeuvre and control (despite the length of the boat and really poor outfitting!)

I have been paddling A wave sport Frankenstein since '97.I like it so much that I own three of them. It is THE boat for me.I use it for most all of my river running/light creeking.
The thing is I am 5'3' and 140 lbs. I think that for anyone much larger than I am the boat may not work as well.
I have converted A few other kayaks and they all were A bit large volume or height wise. The Frank has been the perfect mix of length, volume, deck height, stability and maneuverability for me.
I have been toying with the idea of converting A small Burn but am unsure if I will like the short length/slower hull speed.

Steve, what is your seat set back in your Frank (from the back of the cockpit rim to the front of the back rest)? At 5'8"; 180# I'm expecting the stern to be a bit twitchy and I'm OK with that, but how does that roundish bow behave?

Seat setback is about 9 inches. And like I said in the beginning I really like the Frankenstein hull. I have no issues with the bow. The boat does what I want it to.
Oh, and by the way I have it outfitted with A Gyromax saddle.
Post up how you made out with your project.