Recomendations? Endeavour/Resolute

You don't know which boat you should build to suit your personal needs? Please post your questions here and our many contributors will surely have some good advice.
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Offroad47
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Galesburg Michigan

Recomendations? Endeavour/Resolute

Post by Offroad47 »

Hello,

I'm ready to begin work on my second strip built and have decided to build a Kayak this time. I'm 200 + pounds 5'10" tall and frequent inland lakes and rivers in Michigan. I do make the accational trip to the big lake "Michigan" and enjoy fishing as well as camping which led me to build my Kipawa. I'm hoping for some recomendations as to what design will best fit by build as well as the waters I use.

Thank you for the help.
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Glen Smith
Posts: 3719
Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Post by Glen Smith »

I would say that your choice depends on how many pounds over 200 you actually weigh and the weight of the cargo you intend to have in the boat. The Endeavour is rated at a displacement of 280 pounds minus the weight of the boat so that leaves about 230 for you and your gear. The Resolute is rated at 260 pounds but it can handle up to 340 pounds without a problem according to the designer. If you feel you will be pushing the limits on these two designs, you could also consider the True North XPD which is designed for big boys with big loads. http://www.bearmountainboats.com/19-3Tr ... _Kayak.htm
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Doug
Posts: 476
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:59 am
Location: London, Ontario, Canada

Post by Doug »

Greetings Offroad4,
(good choice of boats)

I built the Endeavour 3 years ago and am very happy with it. I'm 6'1" and 200lbs. I have found it to be a very stable (@ 23" wide) and capable kayak. I belive it to be a kayak primarily designed for big waters (any of the Great Lakes). It will take a week of light weight gear with no problem. I did not put a rudder on it and personally would never recommend it, with practice you can turn it faster and sharper than with a rudder, on a dime. I paddle it in the local (flat water) river all the time. I'm not much of a fisherman but I would imagine you could attach a pole holding device.

By the way, I built the Kipawa ( http://www.greenval.com/kipawa.html ) five years ago and the Osprey ( http://www.greenval.com/osprey.html ) last year.


All the best,
Doug



.
"Some people hear the song in the quiet mist of a cold morning..... But for other people the song is loudest in the evening when they are sitting in front of a tent, basking in the camp fire's warmth. This is when I hear it loudest ...." BM
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Doug
Posts: 476
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:59 am
Location: London, Ontario, Canada

Post by Doug »

There are a couple of picture of it part way down this page, http://www.bearmountainboats.com/gallery_Endeavour.htm

Doug

.
"Some people hear the song in the quiet mist of a cold morning..... But for other people the song is loudest in the evening when they are sitting in front of a tent, basking in the camp fire's warmth. This is when I hear it loudest ...." BM
Offroad47
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Galesburg Michigan

Post by Offroad47 »

Thanks for the recomendations,

I weigh 225 Lbs and figure on using my kayak for day trips. I like the design of the Endeavour but it sounds like I may need to watch how much cargo I load as well as loosing some weight if I want to do any overnights. Has anyone paddled both designs? I'd be interested in hearing how they performed side by side.

Thanks again, Greg
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Denis
Posts: 313
Joined: Tue May 11, 2004 8:11 am
Location: Lakefield, Ontario

Post by Denis »

I have built and paddle the Resolute and have paddled the Endeavour. I would say the Endeavour is a faster boat but still quite stable. If I were starting over again I would strongly consider the Endeavour. That being said I will likely built another Resolute (as I already have the forms) but will stretch it a foot and add 1 inch to the overall hull height. The extra inch will hopefully give me a bit more legroom. I am also going to look at reshaping the deck behind the cockpit and try to gracefully flatten it out a bit to reduce the crushing of the back deck from the paddle shaft when entering the boat. I am currently 260 lbs (sigh!!!) and just need a little bigger boat. I was looking at the true north but I feel it is just too large a craft for constant loading and unloading primarily for day trips or evening paddles. If I were doing extended tripping I would consider the TrueNorth version.

Good luck with your project whatever you decide to do

Denis from Lakefield Ontario
KenC
Posts: 190
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: Oakville, ON

Post by KenC »

I paddle an Endeavor. I'm 6'5", 230#, and wear size 13s. I have used it primarily for day paddling, but have also taken it camping in northern Georgian Bay, where I had it fully loaded to the point of keeping one drybag on the rear deck for the outbound leg. It sat fairly low in the water with all that gear on board, but paddled fine. I have no trouble rolling it, but since its the only kayak I've ever rolled, I can't say whether its easier or more difficult than other designs.

I've never paddled the Resolute, so can't comment on that one.
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