Southwind

tx river rat · Post by **tx river rat** » Thu May 31, 2007 11:04 am

Jem
Are you going to have plans for the south wind in the near future.
Ron

Post by **jem** » Thu May 31, 2007 12:01 pm

yep. Got a couple other projects to button up first.

tx river rat · Post by **tx river rat** » Thu May 31, 2007 12:06 pm

Mat do you have a rough ideal of timeframe I want hold you to it

Ron

Post by **jem** » Thu May 31, 2007 12:22 pm

tx river rat wrote:Mat do you have a rough ideal of timeframe I want hold you to it
Ron

well in that case, September!

June-July probably more like it.

tx river rat · Post by **tx river rat** » Thu May 31, 2007 12:38 pm

Thanks

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Thu May 31, 2007 3:30 pm

Hi Ron,

If you build one of these, I am certain you will never regret it. My Southwind is by far, the best boat in the shed.

Mine is allmost as fast as my best sea kayak, more manouvrable and rock solid stable. She tracks like she is on rails and is my pride and joy. Everywhere I take her, she draws a crowd.

I hope to do a paddle with our Maryborough Canoe/Kayak club this Sunday. Will be taking the South Wind and hope to get some feedback from the other paddlers on what they think of her.

tx river rat · Post by **tx river rat** » Thu May 31, 2007 5:36 pm

Mick
T'll be waiting for your reports after you paddel her for a few days
Ron

Kayak Jack · Post by **Kayak Jack** » Thu May 31, 2007 8:24 pm

Mick, help me out here again, please? What is the weight of your Southwind (in either Kg or pounds, no stones or some other weird eight system)?

What is your seat height above the bottom? Do you have a rudder on it? Paddling with a single or double blade?

Thanks from a crusty - but forgetful - Olde Farte

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:11 am

Hi Jack,

She came in at 44 or 45 pounds, empty. (about 20 KGs. Blokes doubt the weight till they pick her up. I had a stockpile of those cheap sheets of ply I have been using. The weight varied significantly from sheet to sheet. I selected the lightest ones in the bunch. I forget exactly what it was, but well under 50. I went all out to go as light as I could.

Seat Heights I made two bases for a sit backer seat. Off shore base is 31/2 inches above the bottom. With the seat cushion, probably about 4 inches.

Inshore base is 5 inches above the deck, with cushion, probably about 51/2inches. Even at that height she is still very stable and is more suitable to the single blade.

Either seat base works well.

Re the rudder, One would be nice but the boat tracks that well, I just haven't bothered. If I ever put a sail on her, I will need a rudder but my thinking on this one is keep her simple and light.

I am not nearly as strong as I used to be but I can still throw her up on the roof of my 4 wheel drive on my own without resorting to my roller loading system.

Post by **jem** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 7:59 am

My chance to pick on Mick: Had you done the coaming as drawn, you probably could have saved a couple more pounds.