12' SOF Fishing Kayak

[nobucks]

I I took my sister in law down to Lake Superior today to let her try out one of our kayaks. She'd paddled on an inland lake before in the second seat of a tandem kayak, but never has gone solo.

I only brought one boat today and we stayed close to shore, but she had fun on her first solo paddle. I also remembered to bring the camera so I actually have pics of one of my 'yaks.

I did drag the keel (with her in the boat) across a big rock, and ripped a small hole in the cotton skin. One more reason to go with a performance fabric and coating when you're building your kayak.

We brought the prototype Sportsman, Kingfisher, Turdle, or whatever name you want to call it by. It's working name is the Turdle, because it's a little rough in the construction. It still needs a coaming, I just haven't gotten around to doing that yet, so the ride was a little wet.

The boat paddles great. She was very worried about tipping over but got over that when I explained to her that the boat stiffens up the more you lean over. That initial feeling of instability makes it easier to carve a quick turn, IMO.

 

[hairymick]

Hi Joel,

That is a fine looking yak and lady paddlin her . Great piccies mate. I have often wondered about lake Superior. Beautiful lookin place. I didn't expct to see so much bush and farm land.

We have very little in the way of big natural lakes over here. You are truly blessed with so much inland water.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Mick,

Joel can furnish much more detail than I, but I'll start the ball rolling about Lake superior (the Gitche Gumi of Longfellow fame).

There are at least three, distinct types of coast line on the big lake. Granite - part of the Canadian Shield - which I believe you see some of in Joel's pictures. A second coastal feature is limestone; and a third is a deep, red sandstone.

You can see more granite if you go to http://www.frappr.com/oldgeezerspaddlinclud#subscribe and click on my name. That picture is taken off the NE'ly corner of Lake Superior. (I hired a devastatingly handsome Hollywood personality to sit in for me.)

 

[nobucks]

Yes, she's pretty, but her sister is even prettier. I could be talking about either my wife or my other kayak. I'll try to get pics of both soon.

Jack, did the Hollywood pretty boy not show up for the photo shoot? :lol:

Lake Superior is pretty much surrounded by forests and cliffs. Marquette is in the middle on the South shore, and has every type of coastline. We have beautiful sandy beaches, granite cliffs, sandstone cliffs, and some kind of black volcanic rock. In the place where I ripped the skin on the boat the bottom is made up of big slabs of red sandstone.

Our house is less than a mile from the beach although I have to walk over one block away to actually see the lake because of all of the trees. I'll see if I can dig up some of my pics from last summer. We spent a lot of time up and down the south shore.

 

[Kayak Jack]

... Jack, did the Hollywood pretty boy not show up for the photo shoot? :lol: ...

OUCH!

 

[BEARS BUDDY]

Snicker, snicker....

 

[Tree Frog]

Great yak!

Man, nobucks, that's a great looking yak! The design look like one of the old canvasback plans from popular mechanics...is that what it is?

I've been meaning to try one...I think you just pushed me over the edge!

 

[nobucks]

It's based on the old Canvasback, but the frames are oversized and the ends are different to accomodate the way that the 12' stringers lie over those larger frames. Also, the keelson is shorter to deal with the oversized stem and stern.

Also, the cockpit is larger and is different in shape and design from the Canvasback. As I noted above, I built it with fishing in mind, so the cockpit has plenty of room for tackle, fishing poles, beverages, etc.

 

[nobucks]

Here's a shot of my buddy Mark paddling it on a choppy day on open water on Lake Superior. I had added the coaming by the time this was taken. Mark's 230# and the boat stayed dry in spite of 2-3' swells and clapotis waves in a moderate North wind. I wouldn't recommend it, but it can be done.

Of course, pictures never look as bad as you remember it to be.

But, compare that to the flatwater in our catalog shot:

You also get a better view of the coaming in this shot.

 

[Kayak Jack]

That last shot is about the calmest I've ever seen the big lake.

BTW, keep your schedule open for the week 9-16 Sep. We're gathering at Lake Mijinemungshing about 25 miles south of Wawa. We'll watch Bear's Buddy truck in four tons of greeitz in his canoe.

 

[nobucks]

BTW, Jack, I was just kidding. My wife thinks you're a fine example of a man. :wink:

The Big Lake is usually calm until about 9 or 10 am. After that the wind picks up and then things can get a little dicey beyond the breakwater. If the wind has been blowing from Canada, then you can forget about going out because the waves get pretty big.

On a nice day, though, the lake is very friendly.

 

[hairymick]

Hi Joel, great Piccies mate.

I just can't imagine ANY inland water that big. The rainfall you guys have must be amazing.

That far inland over here is desert or at best semi-desert.

Is the big lake fresh or salt water?

The second pic could be just about anywhere in coastal North Queensland.

 

[nobucks]

If you can't imagine an inland body of water that big, imagine five inland bodies of water that big. The Great Lakes are the largest concentration of freshwater in the world.

Some lake in Russia catually holds more freshwater than Lake Superior because it's deeper, but Lake Superior has the largest surface area of any freshwater lake in the world, and runs over 1000' deep in some places.

We don't get an inordinate amount of rainfall, although we routinely get two feet of snow at a time in the winter.

Desert and semi-desert are just as beautiful, IMO. I used to live on the Eastern Plains of Colorado, which are semi-desert grasslands, and that's still some of my favorite scenery. Prairie canyons, rolling hills, big sky...

I'd love to get to Australia some day. I know one guy who regularly shares pics from his home area of Tasmania and the beaches look incredible.

 

[Kayak Jack]

BTW, Jack, I was just kidding. My wife thinks you're a fine example of a man. :wink: ...

No sweat - with my chubby tummy, there's enough of me that I'm a good example of a COUPLE of men.

 

[hairymick]

1000 feet deep and two feet of snow - amazing. Five such lakes? :shock: :shock: i would just love to see such a place and paddle all of it of course.

Yeah mate, I love the desert too (we have plenty of it)

Tasmania is indeed one of the jewels in this country. The coolest climate we have but still comparatively mild by your standards. The locals paddle all year and as far as I am aware, the water very rarely freezes over, It has often been described (along with New Zealand) as a little Piece of old England in the south pacific.

 

[nobucks]

C'mon up! I'd be happy to loan you an SOF touring kayak for the time you were up here. 8)

 

[Kayak Jack]

Go ahead, Mick. The micro brewery alone is worth the trip.

 

[hairymick]

thank you. I am trying to organize a "study" trip to the US for next year. but so far have met some pretty stiff resistence from my bosses. I reclon I might be in there with a fighting chance though.