bkr wrote:

Brian Nystrom wrote:
How it handles on flat water is nearly irrelevant. What you need to know is
if you can handle it in rough conditions should you get caught in them. Now
is the time to find that out, not when you're in the middle of a squall or
thunderstorm. Most of CLC's designs are wide and stable, providing the
illusion of security to a new paddler, especially on flat water. They don't
handle the same when it's windy and rough. Do what you like, but I have to
state one more time that buying a tandem for solo use is a REALLY bad idea.
Do yourself a favor and ask this question on the Kayak Building Bulletin
Board and the Kayaking Technique Bulletin Board at www.kayakforum.com and
get some additional opinions.

I understand your enthusiasm to start building (my third boat is nearly
finished), but now is not the time to rush.

--
Regards

Brian


Brian,

Thanks for the advice. After 6 months I don't feel I am rushing but I
am still a bit wary of how this boat will perform solo in rougher seas.

Sorry, I didn't realize that you had been looking that long.

I have discussed the issue with a few people (not too many solo tandem
drivers I've "met") and got some mixed opinions. Most people wouldn't
recommend it to me as a novice but said it isn't much worse if you plan
ahead during building and provide yourself good interior rigging for
ballast purposes in the front cockpit.

Ballast would certainly help, but in order to get the boat to trim properly, you
would need ballast equivalent to the weight of another adult paddler. Admittedly,
I've never done it, but the idea of pushing around 150# or more of dead weight
doesn't sound appealing, on several levels.

I thought that was a good idea,
but I plan on testing the boats out again in the next couple weeks,
hopefully in some choppier waters. The problem with this is CLC doesn't
demo boats in rough seas. They demo the boats in protected areas, and
if the weather is too rough they cancel and reschedule the demos.
Personally, I don't blame them, but it makes it difficult to determine
how the boat will handle in different conditions.

Yeah, it's an understandable situation. Their primary concern has to be the safety
of the paddlers trying the boats.

I'm wondering what you mean by the "illusion of security". I recognize
the difference between initial and final stability, but in no way do I
think stability equates to security.

What I meant is that boats that feel very stable on flat water are not generally
the boats you want for rough conditions. Wide boats tend to follow the contours of
the water moreso than narrow boats. In beam waves, a wide boat will be harder to
keep upright, as the hull is more prone to follow the shape of the wave face. This
makes it more difficult to lean the boat into the waves and increases the
likelihood of a capsize to the downwave side. This can be exacerbated by a loose
fit between the paddler and boat, though that it a controllable to some degree by
paddling the cockpit.

That is why I have every intention
of taking some classes on boat rescue and survival before I get too
heavily involved in this project.

Good idea. I would also suggest picking up a copy of "Deep Trouble", which is a
compilation and analysis of sea kayaking accidents. It really puts the risks of sea
kayaking into perspective. I consider it a must-have for a kayaker's library.

I can of course, not substitute
classes for experience, and I appreciate your posts and helpful comments
to me on this forum. I'll do some more asking around at the kayakforum
and see what kind of response I get.

--
Regards

Brian