obsessive that I am, researching more about Lizzy, cuz I ain’t gonna say I know EVERYTHING there is to know about kayaking (who COULD, a 5000 year old design that is in constant evolution,,,)
SO, seems that all the old Nordkapps were produced without, NOTE WITHOUT backbands in them. The ones that are in them are aftermarket add-ons by the owners. Lizzy fit that bill perfectly since you can see where holes were drilled in the seat pan to accommodate the lashing straps.
All right, I’ll play. Loosened up those straps so that seatback was loosey-goosey, but didn’t take it out. (not an easy feat, seeing how many straps there are for securing it and adjusting it.). Just enough that it wasn’t in full contact with me or my hips: barely touching me.
Totally! Different! Boat!!!!
She’s still loose in the water, but now I feel like I am attached further down in the hull where before I felt attached closer to the hip, nearer the lip of the cockpit. Now it feels like its my butt is in control, not the hips. Much more surface area there even with my narrow-ness. I also don’t feel as confined, which wasn’t -consciously- an issue, but may have had some underlying currents.
I’m gonna play with this a little more and see how it is for long spells, but the short spell, I didn’t notice any issues. (I also don’t enjoy reclining seats so don’t need the ‘reminder’ to watch my posture in the seated position.). If I can get in some serious miles without the backband, and not have any lower back pain; Its outta there. That will open up a lot of space for storage too. That backband and all of its straps really hinder loading that space behind the seat which is much larger than it needs to be IMO. It’s a full 12″ behind the seat to the bulkhead of the rear compartment. Thats roughly the space I was looking for, for food and such, when I loaded the boat with campgear,,, and being behind me, food being heavy, it makes sense to store it there in the central part of the boat: easier to keep the boat in balance. Maybe I was hasty in my ripping on the designer for shoddiness. It’s still a ‘tight’ boat for stuff, and those dinky ass hatches are leftovers from re-using hatches from old lifeboats. I get that, use whatchagot vs make it all anew. I did it when making the skinboats. It’s still a PITA but I do get it.
Gotta get-together tomorrow, and dunno when I will get back on water,,,, prolly next weekend, weather not a factor because I’m a nut like that. BUT, Blue Jean is staying home this time (unless I get a partner krazy enough to go with,,,,). And I have everything in a large tote I can toss in the truck (campgear I mean) so I can load at the lake, And I seriously wish I were a little less responsible of a person. Bills don’t wait, and I have to make the lucre to pay them,,, That means J.O.B. and those don’t like people up and taking impromptu Vaca’s to go camping. (and no paid vaca’s where I am. :-(. But I would really like to just get away from EVERYTHING for a few days and watch the REAL world do its thing without us krazzeee Hoomans of whom, some want to burn it down. Wanna get away from that for a bit. (No can do, Dio, (S)election cycle is supposedly upon us, and if certain cartels see things going against them, Dio needs to be watching for the stoopid,,,,)
