Kayaks

[DanK]

I currently am fishing and cruising in a gheenoe 13ft with a breakdown trailer and 9.8 hp motor. The boat goes on racks and every thing else takes up the entire truck bed . This was a great system when we had a larger trailer. We just got our 21c last month and realize we are going to need the truck bed for some items that aren't easily stored in the trailer. So some kind of bed topper and kayaks our in our near future. What kind of kayaks are you using? Hard shell vs inflatable ? We fish alot. What's the good and bad of what you are using? I like the idea of the new inflatables but there are no dealers in south Florida for me to go check them out .

[JeffreyG]

My kayak selection won't be of interest to you as I run 18.5' sea kayaks on the great lakes. These are not great for fishing, because I don't fish.

I carry my boats overhead on my truck, which will probably be of interest to you as my situation with the E-19 is probably similar to yours with the E-21. I use a Yakima Overhaul HD tower system. I carry bikes on two towers, or I carry boats on just the rear Overhaul tower and then I have a Rhino bar hard mounted on the roof of my truck.

I believe you could carry something as small as 14' long on just the Overhaul towers alone, but I span to the front bar because my boats are so long and I can't tolerate too much overhang off the back when towing.


My approach leaves the entire bed open. Now, if you have a trolling motor and battery I assume those are in the bed, but if your boats are already up on racks then it seems like you should have as much bed available as you can get? Do you have a picture of your rig?

[HABBERDABBER]

The topic has been previously discussed at length. Search this forum with kayak as the keyword.

Research and check out Porta-Bote. www.porta-bote.com. You can use your outboard motor with one. RV friendly.

[sherminator]

I fish out of a Hobie Revolution 13, which is great for deep water fishing, but not so much for skinny water. I put it (them) on roof racks on the cab of the pickup. I am looking at the Eddyline Cabibbean 12 as an alternative, largely because it is much lighter and is suitable for shallow water. I will miss the pedal drive on the Hobie though.

I do have a good inflatable that I use occasionally for fishing mild whitewater rivers, but inflating and deflating it often would get to be a drag.

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by DanK

I currently am fishing and cruising in a gheenoe 13ft with a breakdown trailer and 9.8 hp motor. The boat goes on racks and every thing else takes up the entire truck bed . This was a great system when we had a larger trailer. We just got our 21c last month and realize we are going to need the truck bed for some items that aren't easily stored in the trailer. So some kind of bed topper and kayaks our in our near future. What kind of kayaks are you using? Hard shell vs inflatable ? We fish alot. What's the good and bad of what you are using? I like the idea of the new inflatables but there are no dealers in south Florida for me to go check them out .

I used to have a take apart kayak but found it was a pain to put together for the short paddle. I now have a Placid Boatworks Spitfire. 18 lbs, 12 ft long easy to paddle with a kayak paddle but easy to get in and out of...light enough to throw on racks on the truck roof as I have a 5th wheel and cannot use the bed. It does take a bit of care as it is kevlar and carbon fiber so it cannot be thrown about but it is pretty tough.

[HABBERDABBER]

Nice boat. Now you got me thinking. I have a tandem, open cockpit, 35+ year old sea kayak. I love that boat....but it weighs near 80lbs, probably. I gave up hoisting it on top of a full size van.
But the Spitfire could fill in numerous needs I'd have. Hmmmm.

That 12 step boat reduction program I was in apparently hasn't caught hold quite yet.

[ChrisT]

Hi Dan. We have an Innova Sunny tandem inflatable that we carry whenever we're traveling and not necessarily planning on doing a lot of kayaking. Its a lake boat non-self bailing but we've had it in pretty rough water in Leigh Lake in the Tetons and Waldo Lake in Oregon. Both big waters subject to mountain winds. For semi serious kayaking we have an Emotion Stealth Angler and an older Ocean Kayak. Serious fishermen seem to prefer the Hobies since they keep your hands free but can't go too shallow. We also sprung for the Yakima Hellavators to put the kayaks on top of the camper shell on our F150. Have fun!

[brroberts]

We have a “rigid” Sea Eagle 473rl inflatable. For an open inflatable is good, but it’s not the same as a true hard shell. It does paddle better than a few economy kayaks I’ve paddled, but not nearly as efficiently as a decent boat. It still takes a decent amount of space for the bagged boat. For that reason, we don’t always throw it in the truck when we travel. It could go in the trailer if one were inclined, but we don’t like moving or living around such things.

[Ron in BC]

I have both a hard and inflatable kayak. I use the hard one most of the time. I paddle it, use it with an electric outboard and sail it with a good sail set-up (kayak sailor).
I also fish from it. So I find it quite versatile. It, and a second one is carried on truck racks.

I have an Advanced Elements inflatable but it's only used for trips to the sun, like Baja. First it eliminates the wind resistance etc. carrying it on racks and secondly eliminates the need to stop at boat inspections of which I've sometimes had two in the same day. Fish from it, not a chance. I'm more likely to catch the kayak with a hook than a fish.

Ron

[YakRV]

We have a 12’6” kayak and a 13’8” pack boat from Swift, out of Ontario (I guess we really like buying Canadian ). These are hard-sided boats, and are each under 30lbs!

We are also looking into the new Hobie inflatable iTrek Ultralights. We would use these inflatables for trips where we might spend a lot of time off the campsite doing non-aquatic stuff, and we do not to want to drive around with boats strapped on top of our truck or leave them next to the Escape for some Neanderthal to walk off with them. We have seen videos where people use them for fishing. They say they are very stable, and you can get up from the seat and stand up on them.

Then there are “origami” kayaks like Oru that fold down into an oversized “brief case.”

[Bobbie54]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

Nice boat. Now you got me thinking. I have a tandem, open cockpit, 35+ year old sea kayak. I love that boat....but it weighs near 80lbs, probably. I gave up hoisting it on top of a full size van.
But the Spitfire could fill in numerous needs I'd have. Hmmmm.

That 12 step boat reduction program I was in apparently hasn't caught hold quite yet.

Those of us in 12 step boat reduction programs should never read threads like this. I added a kayak last year thanks to a similar thread, and am contemplating another one.

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by Bobbie54

Those of us in 12 step boat reduction programs should never read threads like this. I added a kayak last year thanks to a similar thread, and am contemplating another one.

But I've got an itch for another. I better not scratch it. Pic of a CLC 21 foot wooden kayak I built some years ago....sweet handling sea kayak. Foolishly sold it, for a loss. Had to downsize somewhere.

[Mike G]

You kayak lovers in the 12 step program could make yourselves a list to recite first thing in the morning and just before bedtime. The list would include the following statements:
Loading a kayak is work.
Unloading a kayak is work.
Launching a kayak is work.
Paddling a kayak is work.
Reloading a kayak is work.
Instead of working, I could be relaxing under my awning with a beer!

Hey, I'm just trying to be helpful.

I am not a full-blown addict.... yet. I have less than $600 in my iSUP, seat, and paddles.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Mike G

You kayak lovers in the 12 step program could make yourselves a list to recite first thing in the morning and just before bedtime. The list would include the following statements:
Loading a kayak is work.
Unloading a kayak is work.
Launching a kayak is work.
Paddling a kayak is work.
Reloading a kayak is work.
Instead of working, I could be relaxing under my awning with a beer!

Hey, I'm just trying to be helpful.

I am not a full-blown addict.... yet. I have less than $600 in my iSUP, seat, and paddles.

Absolutely right. That's why I limit myself to 3 kayaks. Still......always loved the look of cedar strip kayaks and I time on my hands.

Ron

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by Mike G

You kayak lovers in the 12 step program could make yourselves a list to recite first thing in the morning and just before bedtime. The list would include the following statements:
Loading a kayak is work.
Unloading a kayak is work.
Launching a kayak is work.
Paddling a kayak is work.
Reloading a kayak is work.
Instead of working, I could be relaxing under my awning with a beer!

My mantra remains

HAVING FUN IS A LOT OF WORK

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

Nice boat. Now you got me thinking. I have a tandem, open cockpit, 35+ year old sea kayak. I love that boat....but it weighs near 80lbs, probably. I gave up hoisting it on top of a full size van.
But the Spitfire could fill in numerous needs I'd have. Hmmmm.

That 12 step boat reduction program I was in apparently hasn't caught hold quite yet.

That is it! I love it, it paddles like a kayak but without the deck to get in the way. I took it on a three night trip in the Adirondacks last summer and it handled me and my gear no problem. If I had the room on my truck I might have gone with the next boat longer but this one is very nimble, paddles like silk, is able to handle some weather and is light for portages and on/off the truck. Oh did I mention 18 lbs

[YakRV]

Originally Posted by Mike G

You kayak lovers in the 12 step program could make yourselves a list to recite first thing in the morning and just before bedtime. The list would include the following statements:
Loading a kayak is work.
Unloading a kayak is work.
Launching a kayak is work.
Paddling a kayak is work.
Reloading a kayak is work.
Instead of working, I could be relaxing under my awning with a beer!

Hey, I'm just trying to be helpful.

I am not a full-blown addict.... yet. I have less than $600 in my iSUP, seat, and paddles.

. . . . except that if you have a 28lb Swift kayak and a Thule Hullavator side-mounting rack it’s pretty easy to load and unload

[Illinois Joe]

I have two folding kayaks made by Folbot. They utilize a frame made of folding aluminum poles (similar to tent poles but bigger diameter) that is then inserted into a one piece skin which zips up on top. Very clever. Works well in water, skims through similar to regular kayak, tracks well. Parts fold down and fit into a travel bag. It does take about 30-45 minutes to assemble, so not work free. I have a 12 ft model and 16 ft model. Only problem is Folbot closed down ~2015. You'd have to find one on the used market, not common.

[Randy in Maine]

We also use Thule Hullavators for our Old Town Adventures 139s. Money well spent!

[Doug2000]

My co-worker has had many boats. He's had a few kayaks, and a few different canoes. He has a pair of Point 65 Mercury's right now and loves them. He puts them in the trailer or the back of the truck.

I looked at the inflatable kayaks and paddle boards but see a limited lifespan. I'll probably buy a new Swift Canoe.


https://kayaks.point65.com/