It Floats! The Kayak Test Run

Today is test kayak day! After its arrival last week, today we officially get the Wisper wet.

So Fran and I brought the boat to MacRitchie Reservoir after Mass. I figured that a controlled water environment and fresh water would be a better choice for the first run. We had some time from 1400 hours to dusk to do the boat tests. So here is how it went.

Setting up the boat in the afternoon heat is not a simple task. I was drenched in sweat by the time I got the boat ready for the water. It was a highly anticipated moment when I lowered the boat slowly and gently into the water. The silence was only broken by Fran's exclamation, " IT FLOATS!"

Me: ...

So after about 2 hours of paddling, I have one thing to say....SUPERB! The comments on the Feathercraft that I have read prior to the purchase were true. The boat felt comfortable even when sitting into it for the first time. The sponsoons offered great stability to the boat yet the boat was nimble enough for you to execute a mean edge. The boat sits quite high on the water but probably due to the fact it is unloaded at point in time. It was a fast boat, maintaining a reasonable speed with a minimal of effort. Tracking was good. This was a concern as the skins of the Feathercraft are hand-made and some variations occur between every piece of boat they ship out. I am fortunate that the boat tracks pretty well under mild conditions today.

The sea sock works well in preventing flooding of the boat during a capsize. Which I did, in the interest of testing every aspect of the boat's handling. The boat did take in some water, though minimal, but this was likely through a not so thorough securing of the bow hatch. A combination of the sea sock and the spray skirt did make paddling a little warm in our kind of weather.

The skin proved to be really watertight and water repellent. Water dripping off the paddle just beaded up on the deck and rolled off.

The other piece of equipment that was a real good buy was the paddle. The 4 piece carbon paddle from Aquabound was, in my opinion, a real performer. The Eagle Ray is designed for touring and for a low paddling angle. The feathering angle can be adjusted as desired. Entry of the blade into the water is effortless and silent. Turbulence is minimal and as you exert pressure on the blade in the water, the blade moves smoothly all the way until it exits the water. It does not have the little wobble that I so often feel in other paddles when you pull hard on the blade.

I brought the boat back strapped onto the roof rack. This was easily done with a couple of ratchet straps and another from the stern to the spare wheel. It would be a challenge to bring the boat around on my own, because I had the help of Fran today, and it took putting the boat onto the bonnet before I pulled it up onto the rack.

See the pictures at this Flickr set Kayak Test Paddle

Now.....I need a name for her.....