Towing a Kayak

[ppk003]

We have booked a holiday in July with Hoseasons on their Emperor class boat, and wish to take our Sit on Top Kayak. This has been Ok'd with Hoseasons and I am a BCU member so all should be legal.

 

However I wondered whether any members have taken their own Kayak / Canoe's in the past and what was their experiences with towing them behind on lashing them on top.

 

Thanks

[Guest]

Well, being a sit on top it can't sink, but I always carry mine on the roof.

 

Unlike a dinghy, they're so light to lift aboard, and then they're out of harms way.

 

I would take a bike type "kryptonite" padlock cable as well, so that it could be locked to the deck railing when you're away from the boat or asleep at night.

 

If you get a cable with small enough eyes, then one can pass through a scupper hole in the kayak, which makes the perfect fixing point.

 

It wouldn't stop a determined thief, but it would stop someone just grabbing and walking off with something that is worth several hundred pounds, and easily sold on.

[ppk003]

Well, being a sit on top it can't sink, but I always carry mine on the roof.

 

Unlike a dinghy, they're so light to lift aboard, and then they're out of harms way.

 

I would take a bike type "kryptonite" padlock cable as well, so that it could be locked to the deck railing when you're away from the boat or asleep at night.

 

If you get a cable with small enough eyes, then one can pass through a scupper hole in the kayak, which makes the perfect fixing point.

 

It wouldn't stop a determined thief, but it would stop someone just grabbing and walking off with something that is worth several hundred pounds, and easily sold on.

 

Thanks for that, and yes I was worried about the theft aspect - I do exactly the same locking it on my car roof.  

 

I guess as you have taken your before you just hope that there is'nt anyone determined enough to cut through the cable?  

[Guest]

Thanks for that, and yes I was worried about the theft aspect - I do exactly the same locking it on my car roof.  

 

I guess as you have taken your before you just hope that there is'nt anyone determined enough to cut through the cable?  

 

Yes PPK,  nothing guarantees that it won't get stolen, but it's an easy precaution that will make it impossible to steel without tools and a certain amount of noise.

 

Another thought would be one of the cheap self-contained  battery movement alarms, again, as used on bikes .

 

It's a shame the free insurance included in the BCU membership is third party liability only, or that would have been very handy too.

 

I guess it's also a shame to focus on the doom and gloom aspects of canoeing on the Broads, but they are so light and easy to carry away, and being mass produced, are almost untraceable when sold on.

 

It's definitely a good idea to bring it on your hire boat holiday, you can explore all of the many places inaccessible to powered craft.

 

If you're also a fishermen you can recover dozens of Pike plugs and spinners hanging in the branches of waterside trees and bushes !! 

[Guest]

Here's mine, it's all kitted out for fishing and sailing.

 

They;re great fun on the Broads, though I try to keep away from the busier parts.

 

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello ppk003,

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Are you going on the Southern or Northern Broads?

 

We normally see a few kayaks on the south side and with the rivers being somewhat wider gives plenty of room for passing after slowing down to pass.

 

Enjoy your time on the Broads both on the hirecraft and your kayak.

 

Regards

Alan

[ppk003]

We are starting off from Horning and have a week afloat, would welcome any tips on an itinerary for good food, pubs, beauty and Kayaking.

 

Thank you all for your kind words of help 

[ppk003]

Here's mine, it's all kitted out for fishing and sailing.

 

 

 

Love your Kayak setup. Did you purchase it like that or mod it yourself. Particularly the sailing kit.

[mbird]

Head for Barton Broad up the river ant, drop your mud weight, and then explore all the little creeks in amongst the reeds in your Kayak. I managed to get some great photos of a kingfisher doing just this a few years ago. Hope you have a great time! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Guest]

I modified it myself because the ready made ones are so expensive.

 

A bare sit-on-top kayak can be had new  for less than £300 on ebay.

 

A fully equipped fishing kayak is nearer a £1000, and a sailing kayak is well into 4 figures.

 

The sail kit was made in New Zealand, by "Pacific Action", but I made the rudder, because even they cost too much !

 

There's some amazing youtube videos of the sail rig in action on the sea, one even has whales jumping out of the water nearby while the guy's fishing from it.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pacific+action+sail&oq=pacific+action+sail&gs_l=youtube.3..0l2.25868.27192.0.27753.5.3.0.2.2.0.138.332.1j2.3.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.p_AIrRIx1FU

 

 

[trambo]

I must live a very sheltered life as Ive never seen (or noticed) one before. Fascinating little boat, tell us more about her, I want one!..................................How many days to Christmas?

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello ppk003,

Regarding the kayaking it may be an idea to mud weight on South Walsham Broad and then use your kayak to have a look around the inner broad which is quite shallow. Both broads are beautiful and the outer one is perfect for overnighting on a mud weight.

I would be inclined to moor at Potter Heigham and again use the kayak to venture beyond the bridge.

You can get a reasonable meal at the Kings Arms at Ludham which is up the lane from Womak Staithe (you may want to use the kayak to look around the islands that you will pass going to the staithe).

I quite like the Ferry Inn at Stokesby, good portions of standard pub fair.

You will find the standard mooring areas at Wroxham, Horning and Ranworth Staithe very busy.

At Horning the Swann usually only allows day boats to moor at lunchtime and the Ferry Inn have started charging a mooring fee at lunchtime. You can book a mooring/overnight stop at the New Inn (but you have eat there).

Regards

Alan

[Guest]

 must live a very sheltered life as Ive never seen (or noticed) one before. Fascinating little boat, tell us more about her, I want one!..................................How many days to Christmas?

 

"Sit on Tops" are relatively new to kayaking, only really becoming practical to build with the advent of polyethylene one piece moulding.

 

They're similar to traditional kayaks, but instead of sitting in the cockpit hole, you sit in a watertight indentation in the deck. That means they're completely watertight and unsinkable, even if capsized, like a surfboard. Even the seat depression has self-draining scuppers.

 

They're usually quite wide with tri hull bottoms, so are very stable compared with traditional kayaks. That makes fishing and even scuba diving possible from them.

 

Providing they're stored out of the sun, the poly hulls will last indefinitely and need no maintenance.

 

Mine was  "Galaxy" and bought from Ebay for just under £300:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Canoeing-Kayaking-/36121/i.html?_sop=15&_from=R40&_nkw=galaxy+kayak

[Hockham Admiral]

Ppk, Hi and welcome aboard the forum from us.

I entirely agree with Alan above and would also recommend Ranworth Broad and Womach Water/Staithe.

[ppk003]

On the subject of pubs, do I get the impression that there isn't a huge choice. It seems to me it is very dependent on where you choose to moor.

 

Barton Broad: for some reason I had outlined this as one of our first stops, think I had been there many years ago on my last trip to the broads.

 

Patrick

[trambo]

Thanks for info, looking into, they do look fun.

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Patrick,

There are loads of pubs/restaurant's both riverside and some a good Norfolk walk away from the river. There are also a few tearooms that offer good fair as well.

So you decide that you are going to moor at the Womack Staithe. The staithe is full or seems full (if you see a small space see if the boats on each side of the space will pull you in, most will do) no space at all so you mud weight or go back down the river to the 24 hour moorings. There is a path to the lane that goes back up to the staithe moorings. So up the lane to the Kings Arms, if you keep on the main road just round the bend on the right is a small tearoom (a couple of years since we went there but found it reasonable)if you carry on out of village and walk towards Ludham Bridge you will come across the Dog.

The main issue with the Northern Broads and of course the time of your visit is the lack of moorings at the popular places, this is not so much of a problem being as you are on an hire craft because you can if need be moor in one of the other operators bases (other than turnaround days, ask the yard if it is ok to moor) so you should be ok for Wroxham, Horning and Potter Heigham.

To be honest when we are out on our boat, I leave the marina and other than commitments want to spend my time on the rivers not a boatyard or marina.

There are lists of the pubs/restaurants that you can check out and you can have a broad outline of what and where you want the stop overnight and work from there. It is better to be not that hard and fast and go more with the flow, after all it is an holiday. Just make sure you are close to the boatyard location the night before you have to return the boat.

Have a good holiday and please let us know how your visit went.

Regards

Alan

[ppk003]

Yes PPK,  nothing guarantees that it won't get stolen, but it's an easy precaution that will make it impossible to steel without tools and a certain amount of noise.

 

Another thought would be one of the cheap self-contained  battery movement alarms, again, as used on bikes .

 

Thanks Strowager, was going to chain my Kayak to the roof anyway, but like your idea of a cable alarm. Just ordered one on Ebay.

[Guest]

Thanks Strowager, was going to chain my Kayak to the roof anyway, but like your idea of a cable alarm. Just ordered one on Ebay.

Yes, very handy little gadgets in this day and age.