G
Guest
Guest
Ok, one more post should get me through spring.
Back story -
Me - been paddling for 40 years with a paddling style that can best be described as "unique". Numerous physical issues (all developed in the pursuit of my outdoor activities) leave me paddling with whatever way is the least painful. I am 6' 2" , weigh 270 lbs, have freakishly short legs, and bring tons of gear when I trip. Tandem trips up to 8 days up to this point in the ADK, BWCA, big water on the Great Lakes, and tons of twisty Michigan rivers were the norm.
Was looking to start soloing a couple of years back. The solotripping website responses and Charlies technical knowledge provided a short list of canoes that were appropriate for the Clydesdale class. With the Rock Star on the list, and Bell's issues pending, I jumped on a Royalex boat that hung in my garage for the last couple of years. Took her out for the first multi-day trip recently.
Rockstar -
In spite of a Wenonah seat my back was soon killing me. In my big old Grumman I can put my feet under the seat, and it turns out my back missed this arrangement in a big way. Now, here is my question, and I apologize for my feeble attempt at articulating it. Could I raise the seat without dramatically impacting the stability? My short leg/long torso configuration lends a high cg - if I raise the seat 1" I will have a decrease in stability. If I raise it 2" do I double the instability of the 1" increment or do stars and moon align against me with some multiplier effect and the instability increases exponentially?
Next, I was thinking of trying a kayak paddle. I borrowed on from a friend (I think it was 240 cm) and it felt too short. I have a long waist but also long arms (37" shirt sleeve length if that helps) so I thought this might work. I think this might help alleviate some shoulder pain I have with a regular paddle.. Thoughts on paddle length?
Finally, should I put skid plates on? I try to be careful, wet foot the landings and all, but you know how it goes.
Wilderness -
The short list mentioned above also included the Wilderness, and with the straight line ability it has I was thinking about getting one of these for the flat water.
The question I have is regarding the layup. I know has been discussed on another thread, but here is my question. With the Rockstar for the bumpy stuff I was thinking about going graphite or ultra-light layup for the lakes. Would my weight and heavy gear choices dictate a more sturdy layup (Tuf-weave or Flex-core) over the lighter models? Due to my back issues I still prefer to use a cart when possible for portaging. Is a cart recommended for for lighter layups if used correctly? I would be interested in using a kayak paddle here as well.
Thank you in advance for any insights.
Viking
Back story -
Me - been paddling for 40 years with a paddling style that can best be described as "unique". Numerous physical issues (all developed in the pursuit of my outdoor activities) leave me paddling with whatever way is the least painful. I am 6' 2" , weigh 270 lbs, have freakishly short legs, and bring tons of gear when I trip. Tandem trips up to 8 days up to this point in the ADK, BWCA, big water on the Great Lakes, and tons of twisty Michigan rivers were the norm.
Was looking to start soloing a couple of years back. The solotripping website responses and Charlies technical knowledge provided a short list of canoes that were appropriate for the Clydesdale class. With the Rock Star on the list, and Bell's issues pending, I jumped on a Royalex boat that hung in my garage for the last couple of years. Took her out for the first multi-day trip recently.
Rockstar -
In spite of a Wenonah seat my back was soon killing me. In my big old Grumman I can put my feet under the seat, and it turns out my back missed this arrangement in a big way. Now, here is my question, and I apologize for my feeble attempt at articulating it. Could I raise the seat without dramatically impacting the stability? My short leg/long torso configuration lends a high cg - if I raise the seat 1" I will have a decrease in stability. If I raise it 2" do I double the instability of the 1" increment or do stars and moon align against me with some multiplier effect and the instability increases exponentially?
Next, I was thinking of trying a kayak paddle. I borrowed on from a friend (I think it was 240 cm) and it felt too short. I have a long waist but also long arms (37" shirt sleeve length if that helps) so I thought this might work. I think this might help alleviate some shoulder pain I have with a regular paddle.. Thoughts on paddle length?
Finally, should I put skid plates on? I try to be careful, wet foot the landings and all, but you know how it goes.
Wilderness -
The short list mentioned above also included the Wilderness, and with the straight line ability it has I was thinking about getting one of these for the flat water.
The question I have is regarding the layup. I know has been discussed on another thread, but here is my question. With the Rockstar for the bumpy stuff I was thinking about going graphite or ultra-light layup for the lakes. Would my weight and heavy gear choices dictate a more sturdy layup (Tuf-weave or Flex-core) over the lighter models? Due to my back issues I still prefer to use a cart when possible for portaging. Is a cart recommended for for lighter layups if used correctly? I would be interested in using a kayak paddle here as well.
Thank you in advance for any insights.
Viking