Boat of the Week - Drakkar Wheelboy / BigBoy

[Sir Adam]

C1's have been "international" boats for almost as long as they've been around (look at the "copying" of race designs in the 60's... and the Hahn mold that was brought to the US, then modified, etc...). But in 2006 a boat designed in Germany, built in Poland, and a few of us in the US purchased... the first (to my knowledge) plastic "rodeo boat" that was designed by a C1er as a C1. Sure, the plastic was a bit heavy (but durable) and the foam tended to gas off and lose quite a bit of volume (replace with minicell), but it is a great boat.

https://www.cboats.net/c_db/list.php?ty ... e=Wheelboy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One of my first trips in mine was down the Tohickon at near the end of the year. Compared to my usual slivers of glass this felt like a cork... but a very stable cork. Comfortable too.

There are at least a dozen here in the US, likely more. If you see one, it is worth paddling it... and if one comes up for sale worth considering if hole play is your kind of thing. For it's length it is a decent riverrunner as well, but if you are looking at primarily river running there are better boats to look at. Some folks have used them for creeking as well... but again, there may be better more purpose built boats to look at (Finkenmeister, Riverelf Storm Chaser to name two recent craft).

The BigBoy is a larger composite-only version of the Wheelboy. From what I heard from Marko (designer) it was never made in plastic.

I KNOW there are some epic BigBoy and Wheelboy stories and images out there... I'm hoping Squeakyknees and Marshall may share a few... as well as others.

[Bruce Farrenkopf]

Well.....I have a Wheelboy and I intend to hang onto it. It is a good park boat. Use it at the Reno Whitewater Park. Decent surfer too. It is comfortable and my knees are wide and low in the boat for great control and leverage - you can 'steer' the boat with your knees. Yes it IS heavy.
SYOTR

[Sir Adam]

Bruce,

Do you have the "nameless" version as well? I seem to recall you, Randy, myself, and one? other had the first shipment.

I'm still pleased with how that all worked out... even if my boat flew to the west coast (over the east coast) and then had to travel back again:)

[Bruce Farrenkopf]

Adam,
If you mean 'it doesn't have any decals or markings' then Yes. Mine is yellow.
SYOTR,
Bruce

[Sir Adam]

Yup... yellow, no markers, and later ones had security bars and grab handles.

[PAC]

I got in the darn thing and knew I had to have one.
Great design - great for ELF runs, for park and play and even big water play. Squeakyknees paddled the UG with his a couple times that I know of.
Its heavy yes.. but the plastic is bomber. It will be around at the end of the world.
It fits in the car and is the go to boat for after work paddling sessions.
The outfitting... sux...the only down side but I pretty much rework outfitting anyway so not a big deal. Its bomber and fits like a glove.
Needs a special skirt to be really drum tight but some slalom skirt work well enough.
A lot more stable than it looks. good for bow stalls and wheels, doesn't stern squirt well but thats a function of it lenght. Surfs like a dream on the right wave. I'll be keeping mine.


Paddled the BigBoy (larger version) in composite on the Lower G and it was a hoot too!! Even had a couple boat designer come on over to discuss and check it out. At a lower weight it was a solid river runner and was on cruise control on big waves!