Tandem Dagger Encore?

[Todhunter]

Am I crazy for even thinking it?

I have been wanting to get my wife in a boat, and I will be wanting to get my daughter in a boat as soon as possible (she's 2 weeks old). I hope they'll eventually be solo boaters, but for now, I need a tandem to get them experienced. Since I bought my Maxim, my Encore hasn't seen the water. It is a lot of fun to paddle solo, but I was looking at some tandem boats, like the Esquif Blast, and realized that it was the same length as the Encore, so this got me thinking.

I would really like to set it up with something like Mohawk's triple saddle, so that it can be paddled solo or tandem. Mohawk's website indicates that the boat should be symmetrical to use this saddle, since it is paddled in one direction for solo, and the other direction for tandem. Does anyone know if the Encore is symmetrical?

Has this been done before? Good idea? Bad idea?

[SkeeterGuy86]

have been wanting to set up an Encore tandem for a while now ... set it up with foot blocks made of foam and thy straps for both paddlers and it would be fun ... i have seen 1 tandem Encore (GAF 09 had a tandem Encore that someone bought that weekend).

SG86

[jroneil]

Bad Idea for the wife get a big 16 -17 foot tripper or something.
I scared the heck out of my wife in the caption the encore is even small! you scare them they will not want to do it again!

[Todhunter]

If it makes a difference at all, we are both small people, < 140 lb each.

I do have access to a Discovery 169, but it is set up with seats - not saddles.

Maybe I just need to put her in the Encore by herself and take her down a Class I / II?

[WaveRhydr]

The reason why I have an old town appalachian when I have an esquif blast is pretty much the reason given by jroneil.

I started my wife and I off tandem way too early/soon on the esquif then had to start over. I love that appalachian btw. Its one sweet boat. We have a good time in it. She likes the feel of that boat, as do I....but boy she doesnt have that feeling toward the blast. A tandem team is after all a TEAM. If my wife/partner is tensed up it prolly gets me tensed up as well. It sure makes for a world of difference on the river how the team feels towards the boat.

The more I think on jroneil's thoughts the more it makes sense to me. Dont worry about if you can fit a tandem team into a boat, worry about will the team like the fit.

hades will prolly freeze over before I buy another esquif, and its got nothing at all to do with the quality and design of esquif boats. My blast is one fine boat. I just know as soon as I said esquif that I would set the stage for negative expectations. Just as old town, mad river and dagger names set the stage for happy outcomes, lol.

[Bill M]

I think Louie had one set up for him and one of his kids. It would probably be fine with you and a child. 2 - 140 ponnd people would seriously overload the boat and it might be no fun at all.
Bill

[mr ray]

I think Louie had one set up for him and one of his kids. It would probably be fine with you and a child. 2 - 140 ponnd people would seriously overload the boat and it might be no fun at all.
Bill

I use my Encore for single-saddle "tandem" paddles with my 16-month old. She just holds on to the bags or thwart or sits on the bottom. With the big 60" (or more?) bags she's always within arm's reach. No whitewater for her just yet, though.

[Todhunter]

Cool, thanks for the replies. I'll leave it alone for now.

[cheajack]

Bad idea. ain't symmetrical either.

[ezwater]

Ain't symmetrical? Our Mad River Synergy is quite assymetrical, and we do fine in it. We do load it to near the limit. My wife likes to stick to class 2, but that's OK.

[TommyC1]

I don't know about the fit but I've paddled my Encore with about 60 lbs of camping gear + my 190 lbs and thought it handled pretty well.
That's only 30 lbs shy of your combines 280 lbs.
You'd probably need to experiment with the trim but I can't think why symetry would be an issue otherwise.