Mothership Meanderings: Gearing Up Your Mothership

October-November 2002

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Alan Wilson

So now you know all about mothership kayaking—that it’s great to paddle a light boat with nothing more than basic safety gear, with no labourious packing and unpacking, no struggling with loaded boats up and down the beach. Plus you get to return to the safety and comfort of the mothership for dinner and a soft bunk.

We usually carry our kayaks on the wheelhouse to keep our decks clear. Photo: Alan Wilson

Large vessels such as the ones in the previous articles can handle any size of kayak on the market. But if you’re the owner of a smaller power or sail vessel, what type of kayak is best for you?

The answer depends on the size of your boat, the availability of deckspace, the ease of launching, your intended use, etc.

You can choose from hardshell kayaks made of rigid plastic, fibreglass or wood, or softshell kayaks (either inflatables or folding kayaks) made of softer plastic, rubber or canvas. (There’s also ‘skin’ kayaks which aren’t collapsable.)

Boaters with limited deckspace usually opt for ‘compact kayaks’—rigid plastic recreational boats in the 8'-12' range. They are usually beamier and often slower than the typical touring kayak, but do win in the maneuverability department when you’re playing in among the rocks. A rudder (or a skeg) is a good option to choose as these boats often don’t track well without one.

A compact kayak is basically a day boat, so you won’t have the cargo capacity of a touring kayak into which self-sufficient gear can be packed. Often made of plastic, their prices are much lower than their bigger brothers and sisters, and they also handle the abuse of beaching better than costlier, fibreglass kayaks.

Motherships with more deckspace can handle kayaks from mid-sized (13'-15'), to full-sized singles (16'-18'), all the way up to double kayaks over 20’. But there are some considerations. Kayaks will add to your weight topside, so it’s best to store them as low on your vessel as possible, especially if it has a tendency to roll. On the other hand, our kayaks are quite light and we usually carry them on the wheelhouse because we prefer to keep our deckspace clear.

These power boaters launch their Feathercrafts from the swim grid. Photo: Laurie MacBride

Peter Kaupat of EasyRider Kayaks with his 3-piece take-apart kayak. Photo: EasyRider Kayaks

We have an elderly 35' double-ender— an ex-West Coast troller—and we carry two 11'-6" plastic Necky Gannets which we can easily drop into the water from the foredeck. Our boat (on the cover of this issue) is ideal for its low gunwales and a relatively easy entry/exit. (That’s my 81 year old father in the cover photo about to climb back into his kayak).

Boats with other configurations employ swim grids or ladders to get in and out of kayaks. I’ve even heard of some boaters who have designed a rope and plank platform which they hang over the side like a swim laddder to make for easy entry.

Some boaters choose to add a softshell inflatable or a folding kayak. These take much less space (some are even backpackable) as long as you have enough room to inflate or assemble the boat. Just be sure not to buy a ‘toy’ inflatable.

You should buy from a knowledgeable source, take some lessons, and get good advice. Any of our advertisers will be more than happy to talk to you.

Softshell kayaks do have many advantages beyond mothershipping. You can take them as luggage on a plane, train, bus, ferry, or even in the trunk of your car. You can hire a floatplane to take you to an isolated lake or private wilderness paradises. You can even fly south with your kayak for a winter paddle holiday.

Feathercraft has just introduced its ‘Airline’ of inflatables. The sit-on-top Uno at 12’-2” is just 25 lbs. Feathercraft, of course, makes excellent folding kayaks, as do Klepper, Folbot, Pouch and others. Innova also manufactures a line of inflatables. (See the ads in this issue for more on all of these manufacturers.)

EasyRider Kayaks offers an offbeat option, a three piece rigid take-apart boat (above). If you’re interested in a hardshell kayak, you’ve got the choice of plastic, fibreglass, kevlar or wood. Plastic is cheaper than fibreglass but glass is lighter, and kevlar is lighter still but more costly.

If you’re handy, you can order a kit or plans for a wood boat and build your own (my father built a Pygmy kayak a few years ago in a total of 40 hours). They’re usually even lighter than fibreglass.

It’s hard to beat the joy of paddling a long, sleek, high performance single, so if you have the deckspace and a system for easy entry/exit, then go for it. But a stable, knockknockabout compact kayak is a great compromise in many respects.

These sailboats both have a couple of kayaks strung on their lifelines. Photo: Alan Wilson

Double kayaks are an option for a bigger boat (say 40' and up) but they’re much heavier than singles so you may need to lower them with a winch over the side. Of course doubles are extremely stable and capacious, and cheaper than two singles, but since it’s not always easy to handle a double alone, you’ll need a paddling partner most of time.

Some boaters who use a kayak instead of a dinghy find an open cockpit model is best, providing easier entry and access for carrying supplies, crew and the inevitable pet to shore.

We’ve seen kayaks and canoes carried in a variety of methods: on cabin tops, up front or aft, strung along the lifelines , hung on cabin sides, even towed (but not behind planing hulls!).

If towing, be careful to use a cockpit cover and ensure all hatches are watertight to prevent that unpleasant sinking feeling. Some recommend using a yoke-style tow rig to help prevent the boat from turning turtle in the wake.

Whatever kayak you get, you’ll find it makes a sudden change of perspective. While wearing your yachting cap you use a depth sounder, radar, charts and a sharp eye to avoid rocks, reefs and shallow waters.

But once the anchor is down, you quickly slip into your paddler’s persona and find yourself heading straight for those former hazards.

Your focus is on the shallows with all the intertidal life blooming beneath your kayak, and on the creatures along the shore.

One of the great paradoxes in life is the fact that the closer you get and the slower you go, the more you see. Whereas, the faster and further you go, the less actual experiential contact you have with the environment. Your senses narrow to the visual. It’s a passing parade of mountains, lakes, bays, islands, with much spray and wake.

Instead of focusing on technology, whether power or sail, paddling focuses you on your surroundings.

Some boaters come to find they prefer the silent stroke of the paddle to their dinghy’s outboard or even to rowing. Some, like us, prefer to have a dinghy aboard as well, just to keep all the options open.