What's This?

[concretejungle]

This kayak has been under my deck for a while, left by the previous owner. It's a euro kayak (brand) and is about 8 feet long. Any help would be appreciated as well as any ideas about how much I could sell it for. Thanks.

[RootSkier]

They'd probably charge you around $10 at the landfill.

[concretejungle]

They'd probably charge you around $10 at the landfill.

That's what I was afraid of. Thanks.

[XXX-er]

Ya notice buddy left it behind which should give you some idea as to its value, leave it out by the curb or give it to someone who has a cottage on the lake or something like that

I gave my dancer to my x-gf for her lake house ... I hope somebody has fun with it

[skibuminwyo]

That looks like kinda fun to play with.

[Andy_B]

Looks like a pre-Eskimo eskimo... My vote Sled.

[thredayevt]

boooooo. This is the saddest thread on TGR. Ever.

Don't destroy long boats. They have massive amounts of retro-cool points. Other than my Burn, the last 4 boats I have acquired were all made before 1993.

Seriously, bring a long boat down a popular run and you will make friends. Men will give you beer at the takeout. Once you learn to stick a two-story high pirouettes, and women will swoon. You'll begin to make 6-8 laps on your favorite creek, and be home in time for happy hour.

And the best part is that you'll become a better paddler. You'll line up your moves up better and learn to use the water instead of fight it. That's because you have to when your boat is 13 feet long. Return to your creeker, and the world gets easier.

Finally, you will begin to race. You will lose to some 15 year old kid sporting a Mohawk who is paddling a wildwater boat, or a really expensive slalom boat that you can't afford. But you won't care, because your kayak is older than him. And possibly you too. Plus, the real competition is at party---over who's old-school long boat is coolest, and who can shotgun beer the fastest.

So, in summary, please don't throw that boat away. Or cut it up. That's what Jackson boats are for. Paddle it. On whitewater. And, if that's not your thing, find somebody who will. Post it for cheap on Boatertalk. Or, if you are anywhere near WV, I will gladly take it off your hands.

[AsheanMT]

I agree. You should keep it and have a good old time with it.

[skibuminwyo]

Yupper. If you decide to get rid of it, let us know. I'm sure that there are a few people around here that would gladly take it off of your hands.

[Yeti]

boooooo. This is the saddest thread on TGR. Ever.

Don't destroy long boats. They have massive amounts of retro-cool points. Other than my Burn, the last 4 boats I have acquired were all made before 1993.

Seriously, bring a long boat down a popular run and you will make friends. Men will give you beer at the takeout. Once you learn to stick a two-story high pirouettes, and women will swoon. You'll begin to make 6-8 laps on your favorite creek, and be home in time for happy hour.

And the best part is that you'll become a better paddler. You'll line up your moves up better and learn to use the water instead of fight it. That's because you have to when your boat is 13 feet long. Return to your creeker, and the world gets easier.

Finally, you will begin to race. You will lose to some 15 year old kid sporting a Mohawk who is paddling a wildwater boat, or a really expensive slalom boat that you can't afford. But you won't care, because your kayak is older than him. And possibly you too. Plus, the real competition is at party---over who's old-school long boat is coolest, and who can shotgun beer the fastest.

So, in summary, please don't throw that boat away. Or cut it up. That's what Jackson boats are for. Paddle it. On whitewater. And, if that's not your thing, find somebody who will. Post it for cheap on Boatertalk. Or, if you are anywhere near WV, I will gladly take it off your hands.

Quoted for truth. Take the hard way out, and get wet.

[donutlynx]

Heh. That's not even a long boat. Could make a great creek race boat, or just a fun boat in general. If it isn't cracked, it deserves a good home (other than the landfill). I'd paddle that thing all over the place with a mile-wide smile.

[Tye 1on]

Looks like an Olymp right when Lettman was selling to Eskimo. As wise eyes above i'm sure noticed, there is no center pillar which keeps the boat from folding into a taco when wrapped on a rock. To make sure it is still strong enough to prevent that, make sure the bulkhead/footrest is still in the boat, and if it was me i'd go as far as to carefully stand on it as to not hear 'crack crack crack' meaning it suffered too much UV to be structurally sound.

Then, take threadeye's advice. I still have 2 boats over 12' and they're great. [i bet that one is closer to 10' than 8']. They are also great on lakes or for touring rivers. You can fit a shitton of beer in boats without pillars.

Oh, and you might want to replace/repair that drainplug

[Gerome]

Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Yeah, have fun getting pinned in your favorite creek! It would make a great creek race boat and would make you a better paddler, as long as it doesn't kill you first. Oh and make sure you pull the badass hands above the head, old-school goal steeze when you drop off a waterfall!!!

[thredayevt]

Oh and make sure you pull the badass hands above the head, old-school goal steeze when you drop off a waterfall!!!

That is true. Long boats can be notoriously hard to boof, but this one does have a fair amount of rocker---it shouldn't be too bad. The trick it to grab a bit of rock. You can come in with tons of speed, get your bow up on some rock, and launch the sickest boof ever.

You can also easily mess that up, realize that your legs are nearly straight in the boat and that you can hardly lift your knees, *try* to take a big, vertical boof stroke, but instead end up on the back deck because you put too much body in it, and pencil in deep. If that happens, the only option is to throw the hands over the head, and put on a show.

The other awesome thing about paddling a 13' boat is trying to get it out of a hole that you really, really didn't want to be in.

[MarsB]

You will lose to some 15 year old kid sporting a Mohawk who is paddling a wildwater boat, or a really expensive slalom boat that you can't afford. But you won't care, because your kayak is older than him. And possibly you too. Plus, the real competition is at party---over who's old-school long boat is coolest, and who can shotgun beer the fastest.

Sounds like someone was at the CheatRace this year.

Geoff Calhoun is a badass (and more like 23 yrs old).

[thredayevt]

Nah, I don't mind losing to Calhoun. He's an animal. But, man, that hairdo...it looked like his head had mange. We even tried to offer him some all-natural man "product" to spike up that double Mohawk...

[donutlynx]

We even tried to offer him some all-natural man "product" to spike up that double Mohawk...

Wow, the Cheat Race has really taken a turn...was the Fest like that too?

[soylent green]

Keep the boat! It's a great quiver boat. It has enough volume for some short overnighters.

[jm2e]

That definitely ain't 13 feet long.
If it's got a large cockpit that'll fit a modern skirt, keep it or find a boater to give it to. Just about any boater with a garage or yard they can put it in will certainly take it. Or call the university outdoor program...they'll take it.

[wcf3]

As Tye 1on pointed out it is actually an old Lettman design, marketed in the US under another name. This type of boat design was derived from slalom racing boat designs circa '72 olympics. At that time the rules didn't allow for 'under-cutting' gates (slicing the hull under gate poles). Since the whole boat had to go through the gate, they kept the volume pretty high <=> 4-meter long high volume hulls with a fair amount of rocker.

Many of these basic designs were modified over the years (mostly shortened) to use as 'creek' boats. The big thing for 'extreme' paddlers back when this type of boat was in vogue was doing big water runs such as the Alaskan/Canada classics Susitna, Alsek or Stikine (rather than steep creeks). For that kind of paddling (5+, 100K-200K cfs) you can do a lot worse than high volume long boat.

[RootSkier]

Agree with most of that, but up until about 5 years ago, there had only been like 4 Stikine descents.

[niyaeva]

This is a linear linked boat distributed by L'eau LaVie in the early 1990's. I used to try to sell them. The Conquest and the Cyphur were their biggies at the time, and look, Euro Kayaks is still in business http://www.eurokayaks.force9.co.uk/prod02f.htm

I'd hold it or donate it. That's a lot of plastic to recycle! And besides, it is a fast boat.

[Flaskman]

You could also fill it full of Miracle-gro soil and plant tomatos...

[wcf3]

Agree with most of that, but up until about 5 years ago, there had only been like 4 Stikine descents.

Neither the Alsek or Stikine get much action. The Susitna is run more, but that is (at least partly) due to somewhat easier access. They are all very serious runs, but the hair boating croud isn't really into big water much these days. Probably because it's tougher to produce good footage...