Prelude....paddling?

Alan B · Post by **Alan B** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:32 am

I would agree with Jim Gross... that is really high. I am 6'3", 185 and paddle an Ocoee, Defiant and Caption (tandem). All my saddles are under 8" and I would go lower if I could. Yoga is helping with that, so it may still happen. 1 1/2" to 2" is not that much regarding the gunnel/armpit feelling but is huge for stability. I understand the mention of leverage and comfort but your issue is stability. My 2 cents. Good luck with the boat and have fun.

kanur · Post by **kanur** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 3:00 pm

Hang in ther Randy, even though it feels like it is going to fall over it won't. Did you shorten the thwarts? Pulling the gunnels in will take some rocker out giving you a longer waterline = faster and more stable= In my seat of the neoprene shorts opinion only If it ever rains again around here bring it up, you've got a place to stay.

Randy Dodson · Post by **Randy Dodson** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 1:58 am

Thanks Dennis, I'm looking forward to gettin up to the St. again.

philcanoe · Post by **philcanoe** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 2:17 pm

kanur wrote:. . . Did you shorten the thwarts? Pulling the gunnels in will take some rocker out giving you a longer waterline = faster and more stable. . .

question ???

IMHO: doesn't pulling in the gunwhales make the edges sharper....

i agree with most of the post, but will it really be more stable ???

the great gonzo · Post by **the great gonzo** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 3:06 pm

I agree with philcanoe here; while not hving tried to pull in the sites of my Prelude, I have paddled Ocoees that were pulled-in up to 6", anfd I always felt that, while being faster abd edgier, they offered less secondary stability and they laso felt somewhat, I guess due to the reduced flare in the hull, wetter.

I fail to see how pulling in the sides would make the boat more stable. Knur, can you enlighten me?

martin a.k.a. the great gonzo!

kanur · Post by **kanur** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 7:46 pm

Phil and Martin, I am certainly no canoe designer so I doubt that I can enlighten anyone. I just didn't like the way my Prelude handled when I got it. I loved my Ocoee and just wanted the Prelude to act more like it. I bought my Ocoee new from Frankie and it was pulled in more than a lot of other Ocoee's I would see. If Frankie did it that way I thought there must be something to it but it could also be that that was just the length of thwart he had laying around at the time.
Anyway pulling the Prelude in did make it edgier and faster, both of which were traits I was looking for. Since I liked the boat better now maybe it just felt more stable to me?
Just trying to help and it is something that is easy enough to try and easy enough to reverse

Dooleyoc-1 · Post by **Dooleyoc-1** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:14 pm

My only advice is to stick with it. The boat takes some getting used to.

At the same time I can tell you that if you paddle the prelude a lot it will make you a better boater. Psycho gave me that advice when I was in a Viper 11. He told me that if I spent a year in the skeeter I would get better faster in the shorter boat. He was right.

Also, it's worth adding that the prelude is a harder boat to paddle on "rivers". An Ocoee is definitley easier to paddle down a III-IV river. But if you're looking to get into creeking the manuverabilty, durability and boofability of the prelude are tough to beat.

philcanoe · Post by **philcanoe** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:37 pm

kanur wrote:. . . thought there must be something to it but it could also be that that was just the length of thwart he had laying around at the time.
Anyway pulling the Prelude in did make it edgier and faster, both of which were traits I was looking for . . .

not disagreeing... just cautioning that sometimes, unexpected results can occur.... for instance, one change it might make it wetter...or..another might make it too squirrelly....

what you said, sounded reasonable

Randy Dodson · Post by **Randy Dodson** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:54 pm

thanks Dooley, that's exactly what I suspected and wanted to hear.

Roger · Post by **Roger** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 11:25 pm

Randy Dodson wrote:thanks Dooley, that's exactly what I suspected and wanted to hear.

Dang, it boy, I said the "S" word that shall remain unspoken!!

Dodson, got the Caption cleaned up bueno on Sunday. It is no nekkid inside except for the d-rings.

Sorry for unintentional attempted hijack of thread.