WindPaddle Sail review Part II

Somewhat cloudy but 'breezy' morning so we went to Lake St. George State Park. A review of the park will be forthcoming. I managed to clip the sail to the ropes that came with the SE 330 and then headed out to the center of the lake where the wind was strongest. Deployed the sail and ... damn, I'd attached it backwards. It's hard to tell when the sail is folded up which side should face front ... and it does make a difference. Went back to the landing and re-positioned the sail and headed back out. Damn ... the sail was too far forward, in front of the spray skirt hump and when the sail went down, it got caught on the nose of the kayak and ended up dragging in the water.

Okay, back to the landing. Managed to dodge a speed boat being launched, and corrected the position of the sail again. Along comes the breeze, I deploy the sail, and, yay, I'm moving under wind power! Probably got to maybe 5-6 mph under sail. It dropped on me a few times when the wind changed direction, but it was no big deal. Used the center tie to adjust the sail right or left and my paddle to steer.

See the white hump at the bottom of the sail? On the 330 you need to keep the bottom of the sail in the position shown. Otherwise, if the wind changes direction, it may collapse over the pointed bow and you'll have to go ashore to adjust it.

 Cruising on Lake St. George under sail!

      

 Hard to fold

        

Because there is no hard surface on inflatables, it is hard to fold the sail. Of course, for me it's hard to fold anyway. But it can take all kinds of shapes so short term storage is not a problem.

Here are some short clips sailing.

Deb is taking the videos and you can see that I'm pulling away under sail!

RATING: 4+ KAYAKS FOR THE WINDPADDLE SAIL:

The WindPaddle is fun, lightweight, easy to pack, and appears to be durable. For inflatables you have to do some tweaking and I still haven't mastered packing it down into 3 rings. You need to remember that if you go a long way with the wind, you'll have to paddle back. If you want to play with your kayak and experiment with sailing, I'd recommend the WindPaddle.
REVIEW ON AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2CPWJ8BFRXCON

Review of WindPaddle Sail: PART I

For some reason I really want a small sail for kayaking. The one we got for the SE 330, the QuikSail, is not good (a review of it is on this blog and also on Amazon.com). Searching the internet for other options, I came across the WindPaddle sail ( http://windpaddle.com/ ), particularly, the Scout.

Here's the official description:

WindPaddle Scout Sail
The WindPaddle Scout sail has been re-tooled for this year (in the USA and will be debuting next year internationally). This is our "entry-level" sail intended for the solo kayak paddler. The Scout is the same size sail as our popular Adventure sail, offering a sail intended for 4-18 knot wind conditions.
Built for the casual or recreational paddler in mind, the “Scout” is the lightest, most affordable and easiest to use sail currently on the market.

For an entry level sail that will pull you quickly downwind yet easy enough for kids 8-80 to handle, the “Scout” is the sail to own.

 

I called the company to see if they thought the sail would work on inflatable kayaks. The representative was easy to talk to and quite helpful. After the conversation I decided to give it a try. The sail was sent two day delivery, insured. Of course, this was July 3rd so the post office was closed Friday. It came Monday.

Now, if you watch this short video, you'll see that the sail folds into 3 rings for transport.

This is the YouTube link in case the clip doesn't show: http://youtu.be/Cuzumvu2JnY

Okay, I'm challenged; I've only managed to get it to 3 rings once, two rings are easy, but then it's too big to fit into the provided strap. I'll have to work on this.

Come Tuesday morning, there's a light breeze and it looks promising to use the sail. I've attached 2 lines, right and left side, from bow to stern to attach the sail.

The water had some nice, albeit small, waves, indicative of a breeze, so out we go. I clipped the sail to the kayak and rested it on the front of the boat. It was not at all in my way. Paddled out a bit, felt a breeze, grabbed the cord at the top of the sail and pulled it up to deploy. The sail did puff open but I wasn't moving.

The breeze was just not strong enough. Every time it would kick up I'd deploy her again, then the wind would stop.

I'm still very optimistic about the WindPaddle. It weighs next to nothing, is easy to attach to the boat (not sure if I really needed to add the lines; the ropes on the boat might work just fine), deploys quickly, and, even if you can't get it folded down while on the water, it's not in the way.

Hopefully when I post Part II I'll be sharing more of a success story. I did find another video on folding the sail, so I'll practice a bit: http://youtu.be/wCt_Z8eAc0A

P.S. Making progress on the fold.

SeaEagle 330 Review

Love this ... kayak ... canoe ...canak? Kayoe?
(Note:  One of us "loves" it; the other does not care for it.)

4 to maybe 4.5 KAYAK RATING:

PROS: The SE 330 is a wonderful boat. It's stable, well made, and fun. It tracks well and is fairly lightweight. The seat can be positioned wherever you choose and is not limited by Velcro strips.  Fully inflated, it tucks in nice and tight. The deluxe seat is very comfortable and affords great back support (seat with blue straps). The standard seat is also comfortable and back support is good. The paddle that comes with it is solid, curved blade, and holds together.  The skegs (2) are firmly affixed and there appears to be little likelihood they could ever fall off. The foot pump is quite effective and blows the whole show up in minutes. With all of the valves at one end, deflation is quick and sure, making re-packing easy. There is also a rear drain hole which makes it easier to clear any water as the kayak is folded for storage.

Canoe or kayak? It's a little of both. You sit lower than you would in a canoe, but higher than in a kayak. I personally prefer the open cockpit area as it affords a more spacious feeling and provides room to easily access any items carried on board. Overall, safe, well built, comfortable, and roomy.

There is a picture of a carry bag below. It is not expensive and it does hold the boat, paddle, seat, etc. It's a good buy; just remember when everything is in it, it does get a little hefty.

Given this is it's first season of use, I cannot attest to its durability over the long haul. Will add updates as appropriate.

CONS: Initially I wanted the Deluxe Seat for back support. No problem there. However, the thickness of the seat does throw off your center of gravity. You get used to it, but it does also slightly affect stability. I ordered the Standard Seat to see if that would help. It did. the seat is thinner and you sit somewhat lower in the boat. Back support is good.

While all of the major inflation valves are in the back, which is a plus, they are also very close together, creating a tight situation that could be easily avoided. You can also see from the image that there are no lines running front to back and no D-rings on the side. To me, that makes no sense. I had to run a line so I could clip my water bottle, camera, etc. near me rather than way in back or way in front. The company does not sell D-rings to put on the 330, but there's no explanation of the reason. The pump is good and works fine, but I don't know how long the bellows will hold up.

As far as the company goes, you do get a live, English speaking person when you call. They were very helpful when the order was placed. However, we did have an issue over the QuikSail purchase which is discussed in a specific review of that item (we called 7 days after the customer satisfaction guarantee period had expired and got absolutely no customer consideration at all from the representative).

Review on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/review/R3JORXNRHW3RI5

Standard Features:

• NMMA Certified
• Self bailing drain valve
• Five deluxe one-way valves
• Sun & saltwater resistant hull material
• Lashed down inflatable spray skirts
• I-beam construction floor
• 2 skegs on the bottom for better tracking & speed
• Pressure Gauge, Repair kit & printed instructions
• Bow & Stern Grab Line

Specifications: Exterior: 11' 2" x 2' 10" Weight: 26 lbs. Capacity: 2 Adults or 500 lbs. Interior: 9' 6" x 1' 1" Tube Diameter: 10" Deflated: 24" x 16" x 7" Chambers: Three (port, starboard & floor) Material: 33 mil Polykrylar Seam: High Frequency Welded Floor: Inflatable I-beam construction Air Valves: 5 Deluxe One Way  Inflation & Assembly time: 6 min. Whitewater Rating: Up to Class III

Review of QuikSail from SeaEagle

Kayak rating:  NEGATIVE FIVE KAYAKS

This is the hype:

QuikSail- Universal Kayak Sail

Video:

• 14 Sq ft Neil Pryde Sail
• Strong aluminum frame
• Nylon carry bag
• Hands-Free
• Self-Standing
• Measures 43"x6"
• Extends to 81"
• Weights 3 lbs.
• Sails up to 7 knots

Universal Kayak Sail, converts any kayak into a sailing vessel. Easy deployment in under one minute, breaks down to just 43" for convenient storage in the bow or stern. This "down wind" sail can move a kayak up to 7 knots and can be steered using your paddle as a rudder. Works with all Sea Eagle Kayaks and almost any other kayak out there.
Note: Deluxe Inflatable Seats required when using with the Sport Kayaks.

This is the reality: 

RATING: Less than 1

Got my SE 330 Kayak for Christmas 2013. Love the boat and will do a review of it in another post. I also got the QuikSail which I used for the first time on 6/28. Keep in mind that in Maine, unless you have wet suits, it's difficult to get on the water much before mid-June. To say the very, very least, I was disappointed. The exterior length of the 330 is: 11' 2" x 2' 10". Front and rear spay skirts are about 18" each. The deluxe seat is 21" inches deep, and we all have legs that are generally 3+ feet long when sitting. So, cockpit space is 11-3-2=6 plus divided by 2 (front/back) and you have 3 feet of open cockpit front and back. yes, there is also space under the spray skirts. Enter the almost 4' folded, and 7 foot open, QuikSail.

So we're on the water and a breeze kicks up. I've put the folded sail aft of the seat and it's protruding into my paddle space. Not fun. I then put the four poles together to make two and find that part of the sail has slipped off. The breeze is pushing me in the wrong direction. I get the sail, all 7 feet of it, together and brace it with my feet, according to directions. The wind shifts a bit and the sail topples on my head. I had clipped one end of the provided rope (clip not provided) to the right side of the ring on the seat. I wrap it around the ever falling sail and try to clip it on the left ring. Not going to happen.  The seat is pretty well jammed into the side of the boat (it's what keeps the seat in). Fortunately, I had strung a line from bow to stern on the left side to attach my water bottle, camera, etc. I clip the sail rope to that ... the wind shifts and it falls on my head again. I gave up; it was not easy nor fun. It was just too awkward, too long, and unwieldy.

I called SeaEagle. On the plus side you do get a live person and they speak English! I told them that the sail was a Christmas gift and that I just got to try it out. Nope, past the 6 month return policy. I tried to explain that you can't even get on the water until mid to late June. Nope, past the six months.  And while, as a business owner, I respect policy, the "right" thing, in my opinion, to have done would have been something.  Offer to take it back and sell it used (once).  Give me half my money back (this sucka ain't cheap).  Do something.

While the sail may do better on larger boats with D-rings on the side and not the seat, I would not recommend this item for those who have a 330.

Challenger K1 Review

Uncertain if this was going to be an activity we'd enjoy, we didn't want to sink a lot of money into it at first.  After doing our research, the Challenger K1 by Intex made sense as a first time purchase. Good decision.

The pros:

Price.  If we'd decided kayaking wasn't for us, we wouldn't have been out so much money as to make me very upset.

Stability.  While we're not interesting in running rapids, the K-1 can handle it.  We've taken it on some pretty rough lakes, surrounded by power boats, and it's had no problem. We've also taken it on the ocean, although not too far out in the open sea ... yet.  You'd have to work at it to tip the K-1 over once you're in it.

Weight.  Not too heavy, but there's a solidity to this little kayak that is very reassuring.  It's constructed of very strong material.

Ease of inflation.  Two sections, plus the seat.  Takes maybe ten minutes.


The cons:

Not a lot of leg room.  We're both around 5'7", and the way the kayak's designed, even with the inflatable foot brace, it sits very low on the legs.  It's not intolerable, but after a few hours my feet and hips get crampy if I can't adjust my position a bit.  Easy enough to pull my legs up and into the cockpit, but ...

Cockpit seams are unfinished, and are rough and scratchy.

Skeg mount is extremely unreliable.  After having the skeg fall off on our maiden voyage, we drilled single small holes in them so we could run a light line through and affix it to the kayak.  That does work, and we'd very much recommend anyone purchasing one of these boats do so, because ...

Customer service sucks.  There's no other word.  Thinking it would be wise to have a backup skeg on hand, just in case, we called Intex.  Run around and misdirection were the order of the day.  Long story short, replacement skegs are not to be had.

Do we regret this purchase?  Absolutely not.  The pros outweigh the cons, in our opinion.

Stars:  Four.

Here's an Amazon link for the K1:

 http://www.amazon.com/Intex-68305EP-Challenger-K1-Kayak/dp/B00177J4JS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403178656&sr=8-1&keywords=challenger+k1+kayak

What You Need-Clary Lake Part II

Obviously, there are some 'must have' items for going on the water. We also discovered some issues with what we bought and offer comments on the equipment.

Item 1-Life vest. We got vests at a local box store. Overall prices are reasonable, but we later discovered that some general style vests are not very comfortable when paddling. They can be bulky and rub under the arm pits and can ride up your back.   We would recommend vests more suited for fishing or specifically for paddling. They can be more expensive but worth it for comfort.
You want less padding under the arms and on the back.

Here's a note from SeaEagle.com:

About Personal Flotation Devices
Essential for boating safety, Personal Flotation Devices are mandated by the U.S. Coast Guard for every occupant of a motorized vessel and strongly for kayaks. Not having the required PFDs aboard could lead to an expensive ticket, so it's much better to be safe and legal.

We used the paddles, 84", that came with the kayaks our first time out. Our conclusion: give them away or save 'em for emergencies. They are too short and are not contoured, which makes for harder paddling.
Far superior are the 96" contoured. The water flows off better and it's easier on the shoulders.


Waterproof bags are important. You'll want to keep your wallet, phone, keys, camera, and any other things you feel you must have, dry. We suggest going a size up from what you think you need. We found that products simply do not allow enough space for thicknesses of stuff.
   And keep in mind that we're only talking about going out for a few hours, not necessarily all day or for several days, although that is also an option (which obviously requires additional gear). So if you want to picnic on an island, you want small coolers and  bags to hold other stuff. We prefer bags with cords that we hung around our necks or that we can clip to our life vests (for small stuff), and/or bags that would float and could be clipped to the kayak ... just in case. Don't go cheap or too small.

Since you're out in the bright sun, hats, bottled water (non-BPA; glass is best), and sun glasses are a must. We have a line clipping the water bottle to the kayak; our hats are broad brimmed and with a chin strap (in case the wind kicks up). Glasses have flotation straps attached.
 
Be sure to get a pair of boat shoes. You'll be getting in and out of the water from boat launch (and other) areas and you'll want something on your feet. We also attached a whistle to our vests in case of emergency (this is mandatory in Maine if you're on the ocean).

Two absolute essentials, in our opinion, to have with you are a small repair kit and the air pump. They're easy to stow in the storage area of the kayak, are hopefully never needed, but it's not a bad idea to stow this gear on board.

Our first sojourn on the lake lasted just a few hours. Our goal was to get acquainted with the kayak and how it handled. We found that the upper body, shoulders in particular, got the most exercise. It is also important to realize that the distance that you paddle out is the distance you paddle back, so keeping an eye on stamina levels is important.

It is also worth noting that it was easy to just toss the kayaks into the bags and into the back of the car. When we got home there was no lifting kayaks from the car roof, finding a storage space and dealing with roof racks. For a boomer, the process was fairly simple and easy.

We slept well that night.