Fink, should I buy for overnight trips?

[Paddle Power]

For those knowledgeable Fink people, Martin, Matt, Peter, Bruce, Don, Tim, Jan, and any others....

Should I buy a Fink? (I've read all the past messages about the Fink so short brief answers are fine.)

I'm 135 lbs.
Looking to replace my Prijon C1 converted Boxer/Chopper with a real C1 (support the production of C1s).
Use it for overnight white water trips, 3 to 6 nights, 40 to 50 lbs of gear.
Often trip with kayakers who are paddling blunts, embudos, cfs. Is the Fink similar to these other boats for speed because I need to keep up on the flat water sections with the single blade?
Will the bulkhead work with storing gear forward?
Will the saddle outfitting work with storing gear aft? (Can I slide a full dry bag/stuffable air bag past the saddle?)
Is a custom Mtn Surf skirt the way to go or does Robson sell a skirt for it?
Is the outfitting adjustable so that I can alter the trim depending on the gear/load?
Where are people buying them? Anywhere in Canada?
Is anyone drive by Manitoba with a Fink so that I can try one out?! The other day two kayakers from the UK drove by and stopped for a couple of days of surfing huge waves with our near flood water levels.

Thanks inadvance to all who reply.

[the great gonzo]

Paddle Power,

I think speed wise you should be able to keep up with your friends. It is , in my opinion, as fast as an Atom, and I have no problem keeping up with my kayaking buddies in their boats (Embudo, Big Gun).
I weigh ~185 lbs and I think the boat should have no problem to handle an additional 40 - 50 lbs of gear. In fact this was one of the reasons why I bought this boat.
It will be difficult to stuff gear directly past the bulkhead and saddle, however once you remove the 2 beaver tails (2 screws each) and take out the 2 screws on top of the boat that hold them in place, you can easily remove them and have full access to both front and aft of the boat. Removing and reinstalling the outfittiong takes only a few minutes.
I don't know if Robson supplies a skirt for it, but I can definitely recommend the Mountain Surf custom skirt.
The outfitting is not readily adjustable, I would recommend adjusting the trim through load distribution.
I do not know of any canadian distributor for Robson boats, as far as I know they are still working on that.

martin

[oregonmatt]

Should you buy a Fink? I'd say YES - it's a really fun boat that paddles, in my opinion, wholly unlike any other plastic C-1s out there (in a good way ). Especially buy it if you plan on boating big water - that's where I've found its particular combination of hull features to work the best.

Regarding whether it would be good for overnighters - the amount of gear you say you plan on carrying shouldn't pose an issue at all. I weigh pretty close to 200 lbs, and the boat is an excellent performer for me (at your weight, the boat may bob around like a cork!) Furthermore, the boat has plenty of volume for gear - the bow is huge! I agree with Martin that it may be tough to squeeze your gear past the bulkhead or saddle - there's a lot of foam in the Fink cockpit. However, the outfitting is pretty easy to remove.

It's also a fast boat - probably faster than most creek kayaks, but I haven't gone head-to-head with any yet to verify that.

I bought mine through Next Adventure in Portland, OR. I bet they ship to Canada. Other dealers are listed on www.robsonusa.com. Alternatively, if Drakkar Kayaks ever starts production, the "Fatboy" sounds like it may be a good expedition boat as well (although maybe a touch slow due to its length).

Matt

[Jan_dettmer]

You might want to come up with a smart idea to remove the outfitting real fast with bucklse or something. Other than that it should be very good!

As an alternative, check out the Charger. We have one here as a Kayak and I paddled it only for a few strokes on flatwater but it seems to be the perfect expedition boat. It has 83 (eightythree!!) Gallons and has great opportunities to store gear. That would be my number one choice. My friend Pete will paddle it on our Smoky 2004 trip. A first review will be available online soon.

The boat is very responsive and build for big steep water. On bony stuff it is OK but it really shows its strength on bigger water.

Hope that helps, Jan

[Paddle Power]

Great comments so far.

Jan, who makes the Charger?

[the great gonzo]

Paddle Power,

The Charger is Robsons K1 creeker

martin

[Tim]

At your weight, it needs the extra gear! Robson suggests optimum
up to 250 lbs. It will be super fast - extra length. The cockpit is one small circle so not too much room to adjust fore and aft. Brooks has taken a pattern off so they can make you a skirt. As we all have fooled around with out fitting before, you may end up turfing alot of the foam for straps to allow for greater access. I might have a line on one if you are interested in Canada.


CU ina C1
Tim

[Paddle Power]

Thanks Tim. Where abouts are you? What else can you tell me about your line on a Fink?

[Bruce Farrenkopf]

Paddle Power,
The Fink would be a superior choice for long trips. For gear storage I'd suggest keeping your gear in small waterproof bags. That way you can easily move your gear past the minicell-loaded cockpit into forward and stern storage spaces. The smaller storage bags also makes it easier to balance the load. I secure the relatively small packages with fastex clips to prevent a yard sale in case something unexpected happens.
Sounds like you've got some good trips planned.
SYOTR,
Bruce

[Don Williams]

I replaced the original bulkhead outfitting in my Fink with a Dagger console for the time being. It adds weight but makes it easier to slide gear into the boat.

Don

[Paddle Power]

Thanks for the posting the useful idea.