Adirondack Challenger / Texas Water Safari

yup, I'm gonna have to play around with the positions of the outriggers to see what works. giving the design lots of ability for multiple configurations will be key come testing time.

I've been looking at the seat of greg's record breaking machine and how I might fabricate something like that.

Initially I'll just use aluminum tube using a tube bender with mesh wrapped around the aluminum frame.

for the hi tech curvy seat like greg's I was thinking about using a block of foam with a plywood backing, then carving out the foam until I had just the rough shape, mounting it on the boat and giving it some seat time, then fine tuning the shape as needed with more seat time. after I had the shape in the foam I could use that to shape the seat in carbon or whatever. anyway, it's any idea, but I got plenty to do before I get to this stage!

time to drop off my entry form into the mail box for this year's adirondack race and get to packing up my jeep for the long multi stage ride from texas to ny. I'm picking up another dirt bike in dallas, then a new all aluminum enclosed 6x12 trailer near chicago. I'm also bringing along my race bike so I can enter a few enduro events up in the ny/nj/pa area while I'm up there.

 

I've decided against using a prop for the Adirondack Classic after actually completing the course as the top solo finisher in the open touring class this year. the course just has too many beaver dams, weeds, rocks and portages to use an adaptation of the v14. this year I used a Placid Boat Works "RapidFire", a 15' 25 lb pack canoe and a "knupac" portage device I made at the last minute. I'm still wondering if a v14 will work for the Texas water safari (tws) or not, but with the research I've come up with I'm now leaning towards other ideas, off the shelf ideas, such as a fast ocean kayak or a surf ski. Presently I'm leaning towards a surfski. for having just a single boat, this I believe be my best all around bet. I live in a place where a surfski can provide me the fitness that I want/need, I got the types of waters that are good for it. It will also work out for the adirondack classic, the tws and other texas river races. I will however be the first local to actually own a surf ski down here but back in the day when I moved here 20ish years ago I was the only one with a kayak and now they're everywhere, so just maybe they'll catch on? Regardless, I'm on a new path but the v14 idea won't be totally gone and will be looking for ways and places that it can be used. I have noticed though that many races won't allow for anything other than a single or double bladed paddle so that's a bit of a problem. oh well, a wing double bladed paddle is what I'll be getting used to for now. the surf skis that I'm looking at are the epic v10, huki s1x or s1r, Fenn Mako Millennium, Think EVO , but whatever I get (used) I'll be installing an over stern kick up rudder for the river races and not using the built in under stern rudder.

the Huki S1X:



here's a few pics of my adirondack classic adventure:

 

I just got back from watching the entire Texas Water Safari (tws) and I've been thinking about just how I can come up with a design to do this race.

What is needed is really 3 boats, one for the upper river sections, one for the flatwater and one for the bay crossing, all wrapped up into some funky kind of boat.

Presently I'm leaning towards a pure paddle boat at first, but with plans to add a peddle prop drive.

I now have a surfski, a Fenn Mako, 19' x 19", and it shows me just what tippy really is! I am not at all comfortable with this yet.

I also have a 17' x 21.5" plastic sea kayak, and I used this for a long trip this past may, the entire length of the Texas Coast, approx 400 miles.

What I found is I'd like some kind of cross between the two. A wider and more stable surfski that has hatches for storage for camping and gear. I want a boat at home here on south padre where I can train in both the bay and gulf, and to use it on the tws and adk90.

I've seen a new surfski prototype that has a removable hard cockpit cover, so it can be a sit-on-top surfski, but with the cover on and using a spray skirt it can be used like a sea kayak in the colder conditions.

I'd also like to have, when I add the peddle power gear, is to have the trimaran configuration like the v14 or like the Huki outrigger.

For the tws, for the various conditions, I'd like to be able to use a single blade, a double blade or peddle power, all quickly changeable as needed.

Am I asking too much? I don't think so. I've seen various boats with features that I like, I just gotta roll my own and see how it turns out.

 

Sounds like a good plan, Dennis. Switching to your legs for power would seem to be an advantage of not overworking your arms. If you can jettison the extra weight of a leg power unit when not needed and add back when needed, that would be great. Assuming the rules allow that.

There's some guys on this list that do that race, if you didn't know already:

http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=146241

Porta

 

thanks porta,
I didn't know about that link ...
and I added it to my thread on paddle24/7

As for equipment or anything,
it must all be taken at the start.
the only thing you can get along the way is ice and water,
and that is ONLY from YOUR Team Captain.
You can't even touch another competitor
or they will be DQ-ed !

so .....
everything must be on the boat in the beginning ....
though I could leave stuff behind along the way.

website for the race:
http://www.texaswatersafari.org/

forum for the race:
http://paddle24seven.com/

 

I'm gonna keep adding stuff I find interesting to this thread.
It will help me keep all the ideas together in one place ......
and it may help in someone else in getting some of their ideas.

a Huki surfski, as a trimaran, with peddle power:
http://www.humanpoweredboats.com/Photos/Individuals/PedalWaa/PedalWaa.htm



and a list of human powered boats with pics:
http://www.humanpoweredboats.com/index.htm