Dimensions: 24’ x 20 “x N - 3.5” x T– 3” x 6”
Description: This paddleboard came to me via a friend who had it outside his heavily wooded home on Puget Sound. A couple of years ago, large tree branches fell on it and busted it up in a handful of places. Originally it was a ’Maas 24’, an open water single seat rowing shell, the type that held the record for the Catalina Rowing Race. It is hollow, of carbon fiber re-enforced, syntactic foam core fiberglass.
The length is 24'. Its maximum width is 20". Originally the hull depth was 10" at mid-point, the bottom fully rounded.
The deck originally had a rowing set up. I cut out the rowing hardware and seat cockpit, and glassed on a piece if 1/8" mahogany plywood. I added 2-6" access ports for storage, glassed in a water bottle holder, and added some tie-downs on the deck, but a hydration system inside, and installed a waterproof headphones jack so you can have your i-pod inside and dry and groove to tunes as you paddle around. After repairing and repainting the deck I put on a 1/2" thick belly pad with a 1" thick chest pad. The chest pad reduces neck strain, helps to use the back muscles more efficiently and improves paddling position.
The original bottom configuration was extremely unstable. Despite its length, a converted rowing shell presented great difficulty even laying on it. With a fully rounded bottom it was like trying to lay on a 24' fiberglass half barrel. The only way I could paddle and stay on, was to have both legs drag in the water. It was less than graceful.
To compensate for it's tendency to roll on axis, I added a wedge shaped keel that is 1/4inch thick by 5 feet long and 7 inches deep. This was glassed on at the hull mid-point. This configuration worked well but the shell was still difficult to knee paddle, so I again modified the bottom.
The most recent modification was to reduce the bottom depth from 10" and rounded to 6" and flat. The keel remained. This set-up is so good!
I feel my paddling speed is limited not by my strength, but by my hand recovery speed. The shell is so efficient though the water that the pull of the hands in the water is swift and the glide is long and smooth. Never does the shell feel as if it is pushing water.
The disadvantages to the 24' length are few. There is a susceptibility to side winds due to more hull available to the wind. The other hassle is moving the thing around. Not because of weight (about 30#). However you need to be aware of where the ends of the board are when you are moving it around. These few drawbacks are small when compared to the speed and efficiency of a drawn out, streamlined hull.
This is an incredible flat water exploration vehicle...!!!...
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