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A recess forward and aft of the cockpit is
for the fitting of an outrigger, the forward recess accommodating a hole for fitting the
Kaskazi's 1.6m2 Delta Swivelrig, a tuneable sail which doubles as a sun shade for those
hot summer days. Two hatches one each forward and aft with fibreglass lids, each secured
with adjustable straps, lead to the two bulkheads, an added safety feature should the
kayak accidentally become flooded and providing adequate storage for a camping adventure.
Finally a three piece aluminium rudder with pedal controls. For the UK market, the Pelican has a Venturi self bailer system fitted in the
footwell of the cockpit, the Venturi system is designed to suck water from the footwell
and disperse it via a small outlet in the base of the hull which is situated just behind
the cockpit.
The Pelican is undoubtedly a pretty kayak and provoked a
lot of interest from passers by, many stopping to get a better look and gesticulating to
their fellow walkers.
Climbing aboard required a little thought, unlike my own
kayak the Pelican requires you to drop into the deep contoured seat rather different to my
accustomed slide across the gunwale. Forward of the spacious seat is a raised centre
console with cup holder, useful for small bits of tackle, the bevelled console ideal for
attaching a forward rod holder if required.
Once settled I headed out over the minor shore break,
riding cleanly over the swell rather than through it, the added buoyancy in the design
aiding a remarkably dry ride through the white stuff.
With its 62 cm beam the Pelican is a little twitchier
than the Dorado, but at no time does she give a feeling of instability. Once past the
shore break it was time to lower the rudder via a control line and toggle on the starboard
side of the cockpit, the toggle is level with your body and needed considerable effort to
get the rudder in the required position, I suspect the problem was due to this being the
Pelican's first outing, as the system is the same used on the Dorado which I had paddled
in the summer, the Dorado's rudder worked with ease. The toggles on the Pelican's system
however were positioned badly, my right knuckle striking them annoyingly on every stroke,
this could easily be remedied by a slight adjustment to the rigging; taller paddlers may
not suffer the same problem.
The rudder is excellent, a small rocking movement on either
of the fully adjustable foot pedals and she turns effortlessly, making downwind work,
running with the swell very comfortable indeed, a small foot movement is all that is
needed to keep you on track. Should you forget to lift the rudder when beaching, it simply
lifts and drags, if however extreme pressure is applied to the aluminium rudder blade it
is designed to bend or break thus avoiding damage to the hull or rudder mechanism.
The Pelican makes light work of upwind paddling, the rudder
in the raised position providing less drag and her 'easy to paddle' efficient design makes
a normally tiring direction less of an ordeal, the buoyancy in the bow again helping the
bow glide over the swell, making for a dryer ride.
When you spend several hours at sea in a kayak, your
personal comfort is important, the Pelican's deep moulded seat and large cockpit give a
comfortable and well supported ride, with ample room for even the largest of paddlers.
Unlike the Dorado the standard Pelican is not fitted out
for fishing, but with a few easily added essentials, namely an anchor trolley system, a
deck bag for tackle storage and maybe a rod holder, the Pelican will make an excellent
platform to fish from, ideally suited to fishing the fly or lure, if you prefer to bait
fish or target larger species then I would advise a look at the fishing ready Kaskazi
Dorado. |
