Newbie needs advice on which OC-1 is best for their uses

[Bob S]

Hi WeeMac

Welcome to the c boat forum. I live in Boulder Colorado, and I'm the instructor for the Rocky Mt. Canoe Club (and you herewith have my invitation to join!). As mentioned by Tiggy, it's true that we don't seem to turn out many top notch ww boaters anymore--but we could, if anybody wanted to be a top notch ww boater. Still, there are at least a dozen club members who paddle class III\IV, and a few that race slalom (I'm leaving for the Nationals in 3 days). So there's lots of info here at the RMCC if you care to join.

I concur with about everything that has been said here about boats. If you want to do some more experimenting with the Rival, I have one and my paddling partner has one made of Kevlar (from Millbrook). Come and visit, I'll help you all I can.

[debzvt]

If you are thinking about a Dagger Caption but can't find one used, consider an Esquif Blast, which is available new. It's 13' tandem boat, but can be outfitted solo. Solo outfitting will likely require moving some of the thwarts, however, but you are likely to need to do this on many tandem boats when outfitting as solo. I paddled one once (tandem) and really liked it - it was very responsive and did great in II/III ww.

[ChrisKelly]

Sometimes I feel like a log allright; one stuck in a hole and tumbling over and over, and over..........

[Jim Michaud]

weemac,

I wouldn't suggest that you tie your gear down under your air bags. Instead, keep it as close to the center of the boat as you can. For instance, keep one bag right in back of the saddle and one right in front of your knees or between your knees. This will keep the ends of the boat light and maneuverable. You might also think about installing an electric bilge pump because the gear will be in the way of a bailer.

Jim

[ChrisKelly]

I used mine to advantage on a recent Selway trip and after 5 days still had more then 50% of the charge left.
Chris Kelly

[yarnellboat]

I can't believe nobody has advised you that you'll want more than one ww canoe!

Instead of buying a Genesis, Blast, OutrageX or even a Rival, I'd rig a tandem boat for solo tripping, and then get a smaller OC-1 for day-tripping, playing and rolling. Otherwise, you might end up with a solo boat that's too big for you and a tripping boat that's too small.

We have an Esquif Vertige X set up with removable saddles, so it can be used tandem, and the trim can be adjusted for different paddler weights bow & stern, or I pull a saddle right out and make it a 14' solo boat.

A convertable 14'er and a dedicated solo give you max flexibility - you only need to haul 2 boats around and can still chosse between solo & tandem, and you can accommodate bringing a friend.

Welcome back to ww canoeing.

P.

[weeMac]

Wow! Take a day off to pick mushrooms and everyone writes! (25lbs of Boletus!!)

Yarnellbaot:
2 canoes! Well, sure! I can see that being the direction I would head eventually. As my friend reminded me, whatever I buy now doesn’t have to be what I’ll stick with. My husband is also interested in getting into ww canoeing/tripping, so we will probably end up with 2 – one Rival type and one Caption type that we can paddle solo/tandem. But I am kind of into simplicity... don’t think I’d ever own a quiver of boats.

Oh yeh, and add one tandem flat water canoe for Boundary Waters type trips….
Oh right, and a couple sea kayaks for Baja…

dam

Which brings me to-

Jim Michaud and Chris Kelly:
Bilge pumps. Aren’t they heavy? Aren’t you afraid you’ll become dependant and then have it break at some critical moment? I love technology, and the first time I saw a bilge pump in a canoe I thought “WOW!” But then I had some second thoughts…. Wouldn’t you rather put that extra weight into your cooler (beer, steaks, maybe some beer, and some extra beer)? Too bad canoes can’t be self bailing like some small sailboats.

Bob S:
Thanks for the offer to experiment with your Rival. The Rival is the one boat I have access to right now though (that and a Dimension which I wasn’t super impressed with tandem and loaded). Have you done any multi-day trips in your Rival?

Tiggy:
Sorry the rolling log went over me.
But we will be in Steamboat on Mon. Sept 11th and Tues the 12th. Do you work those days? Could you get together?

Thanks everyone!
weeMac

[Tiggy]

need to look at calander. im holding my baby rite now, doh. Gunny Gorge or Ark this weekend Im thinking.
The log, oh the log, lol
What i mean is, bring your torso up once the boat is rolled with your hips. P{icture a log Picture a clean log. no branches. Its easy to roll in the water rite? Now, add a branch, say just 3 or 4 feet.. now its alot harder to roll rite? See what I mean? It is analogous to a canoe roll. Your torso being the "brannch" and head for that matter. So...hip snap....then bring the "branch " up nice and low. Ill check calander.

[Jim Michaud]

Jim Michaud and Chris Kelly:
Bilge pumps. Aren’t they heavy? Aren’t you afraid you’ll become dependant and then have it break at some critical moment? I love technology, and the first time I saw a bilge pump in a canoe I thought “WOW!” But then I had some second thoughts…. Wouldn’t you rather put that extra weight into your cooler (beer, steaks, maybe some beer, and some extra beer)? Too bad canoes can’t be self bailing like some small sailboats.

The bilge pumps are very light. It's the battery that's heavy but if you use a more expensive high tech battery then the entire setup will be about two pounds. The critical thing is to make darn sure that the switch is waterproof. You can always bring a hand operated bilge pump as a backup.

Jim

[NZMatt]

Hiya Jim
Did the waterproofing method you used (hot glue gun) on your switch hold up well?
Cheers,
Matt

[Jim Michaud]

Hiya Jim
Did the waterproofing method you used (hot glue gun) on your switch hold up well?
Cheers,
Matt

Hi Matt,

Yes, it's been working great in my canoe at home. I then did it to another switch for my canoe in Flagstaff and it leaked due to my improper application of the hot glue. I just glued up another switch yesterday and I'm letting it sit in a glass of water for a week or so. I tested it this morning and so far so good.

Jim

[ChrisKelly]

same glass of water as his teeth.

Seriously, my pump and battery together weigh 22 oz. It is a lithium battery from Rapid Runner Bilge Pumps. I resisted the electric pump for a long time, thinking it was too heavy. But, with the new batteries it really makes it worthwhile. Also, the weight of the pump is nothing when compared to the weight of a boat full of water. Chris Kelly

[weeMac]

True, true. How much do these fancy light batteries cost? How big are they? What is the voltage? I am imagining a car battery........

You said you had 50% charge left after 5 days. Sounds impressive. So while I'm remaining open minded about technology.... Has anyone tried a roll up solar panel to boost the charge for really long trips?

weeMac

[ChrisKelly]

is maybe 4 inches by three inches by 1/2 inch. The whole package costs $385, with pump, charger, battery and necessary hardware. The battery mounts on the back of my saddle. I can move it from boat to boat. Chris Kelly

[keez]

Don't know if this will be of any assistance, especially considering the contributions by the many other boaters, however, regarding your question on a WW play/tripping canoe.
For multi-day trips (2-4) I paddle my Nitro with an olive barrel behind my seat and a dry-bag between my knees. This set-up does not hinder the boat's performance to any great extent. Also no problem to roll.
For any longer trip, I'd go with the suggestion of a tandem canoe outfitted for solo paddling.
As for a pump and battery - don't hesitate to get one. My set costs less than $100 cdn and consists of a 1250 gph Atwood pump, a 14.4V cordless drill battery in a waterproof box, and a toggle switch made waterproof by emersing the base in epoxy.
Good luck
Geoff