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WaterTribe Everglades Challenge 2004
Wizard's boat
13.5' kayak for 300 mile race?
photo log| video| boat & gear| Wizard's boat
EC-2003 | EC-2004 | links & resources
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| A new design of WaterTribe "Wizard", Matt Layden, an experimental Rob Roy type cruising kayak, 13.5' x 27.5" with 16 sqft lug sail among regular sea kayaks. Matt completed the challenge in 4 days and 11.5 hours beatting many sea kayaks and sail boats. Well, what else you would expect from somebody who finished the Lake Michigan Challenge'03 in the off-the-shelf Stearns 10' deflatable kayak taking the 3rd place? Maybe, that he should take a longer route inside the Everglades. So, he did. |
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Matt's microcruisers
Beachcruising and Coastal Camping book describing some of his older designs
A quote from Matt's Michigan Challenge article published at WaterTribe:
I feel confirmed in my belief that a moderately short, beamy, buoyant kayak is safer and more comfortable to paddle long distances
in varying conditions than the long, low, fine-ended type that has become popular in recent years. The Stearns 10' was an extreme example,
but serves to make the point.
Finally, I truly hope I haven't hurt any feelings or stepped on the wrong toes by bringing such an ugly, unfashionable boat and actually
having the temerity to finish respectably with it. My apologies to anyone I may have unintentionally offended. But if anybody else starts
to feel that maybe a cutting-edge fast sea kayak isn't the best way to go for comfortable touring, I wouldn't disagree. Just a thought.
Matt made his point again in EC-2004 and again in EC-2005 with his modified kayak (integral rudder, less sail) and a single blade paddle. See his article Everglades Challenge in the Rob Royoid Canoe. | ||
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photo log| video| boat & gear| Wizard's boat
EC-2003 | EC-2004 | links & resources
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MarekUliasz.com |