Re: Night Heron? Love it

Posted by Mike Hanks on Mar 29, 2006

Which one the strip-built or the s&g?

I have the S&G and love it. It is quite fast, tracks well, turns easily, and is neutral in the wind for me, but lighter folks have issues with it weathercocking. It is currently my favorite all-around kayak. It is the 9th kayak that I have built. I use it for day paddles, and playing in the surf. It is a high-performance design that loves rough water, but it is still fun on the flat stuff. I have put novices in it and they had no problems with the stability. I find it very easy to roll. It can be a wet ride in big water, but it remains predictable and forgiving. It is nimble and fast like a sportscar. The full ends resist perling in surf.

The volume should be fine for camping trips, but probably a little low for a full fledged expedition. I think the designed displacement is 235 lbs, and I (185) am under that with mine (36) by a more than 10 lbs. If you weigh 150, you will want to add ballast, to sink it enough to avoid weathercocking. The keel has enough rocker so you have to sink it deep enough for it to perform up to it's full potential.

Building the S&G kit was fast and easy, but I used my own glass and epoxy for a very strong yet lightweight layup. I built it in about 2 months time, and I work full time and have two toddlers, so it was a very quick build for me.

Mike

In Response to: Night Heron? by Pete on Mar 28, 2006

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