Kudzu

I have one more company I am talking to but I have talked to a bunch and I don't expect any better news. I am just about out of options. 

 

Well, I talked to the new company after I posted this and they don't have anything wider than 60" and boats like the Messabouts can't be skinned with that without piecing the fabric. 

 

I see a few people have seen this with no comment. I could REALLY use some input from everyone. Don't be shy! Just tell me if you pay $7 a foot or not.

As far as I know, no one else has a good polyester fabric.I have tried a couple of others and was not impressed. That is another reason I want something good.

  Well, 300 lbs is not a problem with that boat.  But I feel must I point out that with the large open cockpit it's not a good choice for big waves. 

Two foot waves are not a place for an inexperienced kayaker. It's just asking for a capsize and since your duck hunting your probably dealing with cold water, so you have consider hypothermia when (not if) you hit the water. You need proper clothing and the skills to either roll or empty water from the boat and get back in. Because of that I won't make a recommendation. The paddler is more important than the boat in that type of conditions.

I live on a very large lake and the kind of wind it takes to create waves over a foot makes and it is not the place for a new paddler. I was out in something similar this past week. Waves kept trying to submerge the bow of my Baidarka. It was great fun but I wouldn't have gone out in that without my Buddy who is a certified instructor with me. I would have never gone out there with an inexperienced paddler!

Sorry, but my recommendation is something larger than a kayak till you get a lot of experience. I have some rowing boats in my new book that MIGHT be a better choice but paddling or rowing anything in that kind of wind is tricky.

Hey Jeff do you have any 24" wide boats that you can stretch a piece of that around to see if it is enough???

 

No, but just because a boat is 24" wide doesn't mean they are all the same circumference. You need to measure the boat at the front of the coaming. 

I don't have an answer frankly. But I would probably just clamp it in place instead of lashing but either should work. But I would not leave the lashing. It probably wouldn't be a problem but the coaming 'floats' and it not tied in place. And the lashing is going to leave a bump, so I would remove it for that reason.