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Name: hlub34a

Most Recent Reviews

I have had my V-Lam paddle for over 10 years and it (and I) are still going strong. I have the bent shaft version, which IMO, makes long paddles very comfortable. I built my Chesapeake 16 LT kayak, so no issue with maintaining this wood paddle. About every 5 years, scuff it down with some 3M red pad synthetic steel wool and then a re-coat with a good grade of marine varnish (Captain's, Epiphanes, etc.)

I was looking for a sprayskirt for the Chesapeake that I built, when I came upon the Harmony Half-skirt. Perfect for warmer weather, it shields your legs/lower body from sun as well as paddling drips, rain, etc. Easy to install and remove, the skirt's sides slide up the shock cord to facilitate getting in and out of the kayak.

Follow-Up to my August 2012 review: The 16LT is done, varnished and…

Follow-Up to my August 2012 review:
The 16LT is done, varnished and in the water. This kayak was the perfect choice for me, 5'5" 125lbs. This is a stitchNglue, Okoume marine plywood kit. Includes everything (fittings, epoxy, fiberglass and full instruction manual and companion DVD.) The only things I had to buy were the random orbital sander, sanding discs & paper, a plane and stain & varnish. Got it finished in time for the Fox-Heritage (Wisconsin) paddle Sept. 29. The LT tracks well, offers great stability and is lightweight and FAST! If I had more space, I'd build another!

I've had my Orca VLam kayak paddle for over 4 years and have found it to be one of the best equipment investments I've made. It is light, quiet and gorgeous to look at. After it got a little scruffy, I followed Sawyer's instructions for a refinish and it turned out beautifully. On group paddles, it's often borrowed to try out.

I've had my PeekaBoo for over 5 years. It was my first kayak and it was an excellent choice. I don't do whitewater paddling and have found the PeekaBoo to be stable and easy to maneuver on inland lakes. I also do shoreline/waterway cleanup and it's perfect for hauling stuff to shore. The glass window hasn't really been an impressive feature, at least on Wisconsin lakes. It is a bit too heavy for me to move alone, so I use a boat dolly to transport it from the boathouse to the water in season. For winter I use the padded hanging straps commonly sold to store yaks. I'm 5'5" 125 and it's a dry paddle, though I do have the scuppers.

A long time sailor, if I had known what fun kayaking was, I'd gotten into it sooner! That said, I'd been having fun with my Ocean kayak sit-on, great for recreational paddling and service work (shoreline cleanup). I longed to move to a larger boat and one that had a bit more speed. I opted for a 'stitchNglue' kit from CLC.

This review is only for the building part, as I am just finishing with the varnish. The kit came with everything except hand tools. The pieces were perfectly cut and the kit came with great instructions and a companion DVD. The greatest asset was the customer care that I received from CLC. Any question I had (via email) about a step in the building process was quickly and completely answered the same day or early the next. Made the process go a lot faster. After 3 coats of varnish, the kayak is gorgeous. All I need to do is install the seat and we're ready for the water test.