HERESY!

I'm a long-time fan, customer, and builder of CLC boats, having built, sailed, and paddled several kayaks and a Johns Sharpie over the years.  As an ex-collegiate oarsman (LONG time ago!), I now desire to move to reacreational and fitness rowing.  I'm interested in an Expedition Wherry, but have also run into the Wayland Marine Merry Sea.  Both have similar dimensions and intent, with one exception.  The CLC Expedition Wherry has a launch weight of 100 lbs, vs the Merry Sea's 70 lbs.  Given the row wing weighs ~20 lbs, that leaves a not insubstantial hull weight of the Expedition Wherry around 80 lbs.  Thats a bit of a hump to car top for me.  So, anybody else made the coice between the two?


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RE: HERESY!

Vade retro Satana! :-)

Launch weight would include the rowing gear. Brand X says that they weigh 85 with rowing gear so you're only looking at a difference of 15 lbs. If you load it one end at a time with no paddling gear, you only have to lift 40 lbs at a time.

Personally, I like the looks of the CLC boat a lot better. Also consider also the decking. The CLC boat is less likely to swamp since it has a fuller deck.

Do the right thing,

Laszlo

 

 

 

 

RE: HERESY!

The CLC boat also has much more storage capacity, i.e., deck hatches as opposed to just inspection ports. As Laszlo pointed out, the CLC boat also has a much smaller cockpit area to bail if the boat gets swamped. So I guess you need to ask yourself whether you need storage or not. If not go with Brand X. I also agree with Laszlo that the CLC Wherry is a much better looking boat. I am biased, however.....

George K  

RE: HERESY!

   Laslo and George K, thanks for your input.  It may be a moot point, as there apears to be some health issues with the current owner of Wayland Marine, and the Merry Sea may not even be available.  I'll check further, and (hopefully) talk to CLC and/or Wayland Marine guys at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival this fall, which they generally attend.  Regards, Pete.

RE: HERESY!

I was conscious of the weight issue when designing the Expedition Wherry.  The weight is the result of all the decking, and it's the decking that really puts the "Expedition" in the Expedition Wherry.  Decks are heavy, simple as that.  

One observation I have about hull weight and cartopping is that there's an absolute upper bounds for easy solo cartopping:  about 50-55 pounds.  More than that and it's very difficult even for a strong person to get the boat on top.  So (follow me on this), with 55lbs unachievable in a boat this size without carbon fiber and an autoclave, you might as well bump up to the next increment, which is a two-person lift.  Maximum of 85-100lbs.  

I'm talking about dead-lifting the boat onto the roof rack.  Given a grassy loading spot, you can do the old solo trick of getting one end of the boat onto the racks, then lifting the other end.  You need the right roof rack configuration to make that work, however.  Rollers on the rear rack are a big help.

The sliding seat unit is so easy to pop out that I've never traveled with the unit in place, so I never fret about its weight.   

RE: HERESY!

By the way, I'm a fan of all of Wayland's boats, going way back.     

RE: HERESY!

   Hi John.  Doubt you remember me, but we met in Dana Point, CA many moons ago at a CLC demo day.  I'm the guy with the blue hull John's Sharpie.  Anyhow, thanks for your input.  I share your feel for the upper bound for cartoping at 50 lbs or so.  I'm an old guy now, and even my 40 lb. yaks were a hump to dead-lift onto my truck roof rack.  A non-starter for the Expedition Wherry, for sure.  While I may investigate the "one end at a time" method, or some "hully rollers" on the rack, I think I see a trailer in my future.  No big deal, I have the space at home for storage.  

Haven't committed to a build of the Expedition Wherry yet, but getting excited.  Looks like just the ticket for the PNW, where I hang out these days.  Thanks for the design, and your attention to this forum.

Pete

RE: HERESY!

"Use the legs."

http://www.pbase.com/onceagain/cartopper

--

Ogata

RE: HERESY!

   Greetings Lads,

I have not been on this forum in quite a while.  But I'm back in the market for a boat to build.  As the original poster, I have also looked at the Wayland Marine products and was attracted to their lighter weight.  I built a Mill Creek back in 2011 and a Glen-L Malahini in 2011 and my back and knees are ready to have another go at boat building.  I have always been a fan of rowing a sliding seat and even took my wife to the 1996 Olympic rowing on Lake Lanier, GA.  Finally, 18yrs after those Olympics, she decided that she wanted to learn learn sculling.  She took a three week class at the same rowing facility, now a rowing club on Lake Lanier.  She rowed 4s and 8s.  So now, I get to build probably two more boats (hers and mine).  I think the Oxford Shell is probably too tippy for recreational rowers.  I really wanted something a little lighter than the Annapolis Wherry, which is twice as heavy as "brand x".  The description says the hull weight is 65lbs.  That is a little less than our Mill Creek and that thing has become a beast for me to handle.  I did not see a weight for the Piantedosi unit.  I think lifting the boat out of the water and onto our dock would be easier if I could grab the rowing unit.  But I think that is going to add a bit more weight.  What did the original poster decide to build?

RE: HERESY!

   My old kayak weighs about 65 pounds. I use the lift one end at a time to place it on the truck rack. WHICH is kinda high up on the 4x4 lifted truck. So I have to use a two step aluminum kitchen stool just to reach the rack. Oddly enough it helps. placing one end on the rack and then bringing the other up the "steps" is easier than lifting.  I have hully rollers but they are only good on the lighter kayaks. They bind up on the heavy one and turn on the bar. The standard Yakima cradles work better with a little rocking motion fore and aft.

 

For more money there are some rack manufactures that make racks with extenders aft so you can slide the yak on the back of smaller SUVs............smaller than the truck. There is also one that you load the yak at about chest height then spring assist it to the top of the rack/roof.  Once again...its only money. A trailer is easier.

My best advise is to go with a group and help each other. It's a social thing.......  Or perhaps  as I've done get a younger wife.

 

RE: HERESY!

I have been a solo sailor/paddler for years. I too use a step-stool and a folding metal sawhorse from Canadian Tire to get my 60 pound kayak on my car. When I decided to build a CLC boat I had initially envisioned cartopping but given that I will be rowing in the North Atlantic I decided robustness was very important and chose the Expedition Wherry. After all that work I dare not take the risk of dropping it off the side of my vehicle so just ordered a trailer. For me the added expense was worth it as it will take so much of the stress out of traveling and launching. I would rather save my energy for hte rowing and camping parts of my adventures.

RE: HERESY!

WANTED - Younger wife to help old guy get it up

                 on top of the truck. 

RE: HERESY!

   Very much impressive it is heresy ! It is quite useful and important infomation here about sails, kayaks,boats etc. and their different beautiful and elegant shapes and being light weight and made of rot free wood and so on ....! Thanks a lot.

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