ESQUIF demo with Eli

[squeakyknee]

I went out to Appomattox River Co.'s demo days out at Farmville Va. last weekend.Basically a ton of rec boats and sea kayaks with some whitewater stuff. Way down at the end was Novacraft and Esquif's tent.
I walked up and saw the fleet of boats Eli brought with him. While looking at a Spark I noticed a prototype Salsa sitting behind a big pine tree.He also brought the new run of the Tareau(it's white.pretty sweet).I asked if I might paddle the Salsa and went to get my gear on.
The Salsa was a hoot! Easy to roll and put on end,but diidn't plow on forward strokes.It's interesting how the volume is distributed around the paddler.It is wide enough and tall enough to feel like a larger openboat,but as nimble and playful as a wheelboy.
Eli noticed I was having trouble keeping it on end and got in to show me how it's done.Freakin' sweet!That boy is amazing.
I hopped in the new Tareau and took it out to mess around.
It's a nice roller as well.Even after 6 cosecutive rolls trying to fill it up.After finally dipping the rim to fill up the boat,I rolled one last time.When I came up I noticed that most of the water was out.That's a nice design.
The Spark was nice, but don't try rolling one without airbags...
It was a great time hanging out with Eli and talking shop.
Now I need to pick up a Tareau,a Blast for tandem,and start saving for when the Salsa is out.
HOORAY ESQUIF!!!
Shawn

[fez]

did you take a picture of the white Taureau ? I`d like to see it a lot. If you have it it would be nice if you could send it to
fez at singletrailz.de

Thanks + Greetings Frank

[Louie]

Dooley at about 250 lb rolled it came over to the bank got out and the thing only had about 4 " of water in it.

[squeakyknee]

did you take a picture of the white Taureau ? I`d like to see it a lot. If you have it it would be nice if you could send it to
fez at singletrailz.de

Thanks + Greetings Frank

Sorry,no pictures this trip.I really wish I had caugt a pic of the Tareau and the Salsa.
Shawn

[Wendy]

I don't know how to post it here.

[kx250guy]

Im a single blade paddler so I guess can say this,, Why not put a skirt on the Tareau and roll up with no water . or punch a hole and not fill up. Or at least , to keep from having to get in and out of your boat to bail all day when your on a long steep creek? Im sure its a great boat Im sure but really. Isnt it kind of silly no to ,just to say your still in a open canoe? The Tareau is very far away from a canoe and very close to a c1. No offence to anybody, just a thought.

[gollum]

Ah, the age old question: If you pull the skirt off a c1 does it become a OC1? Makes sense? So if you skirt a Tareau, does the OC1 become a C1? But wait, when I see a tandem 16' canoe with a spray skirt, is it still an OC2 or is it now a C2? Stop my head hurts!

[Larry Horne]

Why paddle open? nobody knows for sure, it's one of the great misteries of our time.. but i think i know what the deal is. lets face it, c-boaters as a group are an odd lot, and open boaters are the oddest part of that group, so we're talking REALLY wierd here. open boaters are afraid of being OUTED! i suspect they have sub-concious cross dressing fantasies, which is why they are so afraid to wear a skirt in public

[NZMatt]

Hiya Frank
Ignazio at Esterle Squirt Point in Italy has a Taureau (not one of the new ones though). I was hoping he could come to the Simme, but won't be able to. I can give you his contact details by email though.
Cheers,
Matt

[boatbuster]

It ain't manly to wear a tight black little number round yer hips...unless you are carrying a T-grip, in which case no one would argue you are a girlie-man.

I own a C-1 but mainly paddle OC1. I like being able to hop out quickly o a rock, look over a horizon, jump back in. I frankly don't like the confining feeling of the skirt...guess I'm a little claustrophobic!

It's all personal preference. Paddling open forces me to run drier lines than I do in my C-1. Ran the Nolichucky at 3K in my C-boat and it was like, man that was easy. Only challenge was staying upright!

Finally, the Taureau, like my Superfly, has too big a cockpit for a skirt. The Taureau seems to have no cockpit rim whatsovever, so a skirt is out of the question. With the Flies, there is a lip around the cockpit, but a skirt big enough to stretch over it dangle down to your knees and could become a sea anchor if you swam!

Whenever someone asks me "why don't you get a skirt for that thing," something bad invariably happens. Last kayaker who said that to me swam!

[squeakyknee]

Why paddle open?

I'd say personal challenges

and open boaters are the oddest part of that group, so we're talking REALLY wierd here.

You're GD right we are,wait,I paddle C-1 too,and Kayak occasionally,Yeah,I said it!

open boaters are afraid of being OUTED!

If you're afraid to stick it in the hole and see what happens, then you should be.

On another Rant,
I could see paddling the Tareau either way.
The cockpit is not too big to put a rim on. Heck, cut up an old Super EZ and fashion that or something of the like to the top and rock with it. I'd probably just put my pump in it. It's alot less water to pump than my Open boat, and not having to mess with a skirt when creeking would be nice.
The Salsa is definately a "Hey I can still call it an OC-1" kinda thing.
If you took the lines of the deck and brought it up to a cockpit rim instead of leaving it open, you'd have a super sweet C-1. A super playful Tareau basically.

[fez]

Thanks to Margaret Arthur ! Here is her picture of the white Taureau:

[img]http://www.singletrailz.de/Bilder/Padde ... aureau.gif[/img]

I love it so much in white... so sad its sold only in orange...

[KNeal]

lets face it, c-boaters as a group are an odd lot, and open boaters are the oddest part of that group, so we're talking REALLY wierd here.

No offense Larry, I just can't resist--isn't this the "pot calling the kettle black"?

Squeakyknee, thanks for posting about the Appomatox Demo and Eli Helbert. He is really a class act--and "home grown" in the Shenandoah Valley, too! For those on the Armada, Eli's dad, Paul Helbert, was hanging around with us at the lunchstop hole.

KNeal

[Paul Helbert]

It was really great seeing so many open boaters on the North Branch. I got to meet a few of you and was impressed with the bilge pumps in the other Esquif canoes I saw. At one point we had four Esquif boats together. All but my Nitro were fitted with pumps. Some were factory installs and others were homebrewed. I'm awaiting the arrival of an Attwood v1250 and should have it hooked up this week. These newer, smaller boat designs just don't have enough room to use a bailer. I know I'm gonna love the pump and want to thank you folks for showing them to me.

By the way, Eli made it home for a few days after the Farmville show and we got to paddle the Yough (tandem in an Esquif Blast) last Wednesday. Neither of us had been there for years and we had the river to ourselves! Eli is back South on the Chattooga for NOC the next six weeks, then off to the OR show in Salt Lake, some competition and then shooting video for AW on the Gauley in the fall. His calendar is on his wibsite (which I try to keep up to date for him): http://www.PaddleLink.com

[Larry Horne]

No offense Larry, I just can't resist--isn't this the "pot calling the kettle black"?

you got it! i was just tryin to stir things up a little. i've got a few worn out open boats in my yard too.