: Steve Killing doesn't seem to publish "design displacement"
: numbers, as some other designers do, but he has published "optimum
: capacity" numbers, although I can't seem to find those numbers (for
: kayaks) on the website any more. In either case, its a number that refers
: to the total combined weight of boat, paddler, and gear. The difference, I
: think, is that the "design displacement" is a particular weight,
: that will sink the boat exactly to its designed waterline, whereas the
: "optimum capacity" is a range of weights - probably akin to
: "design displacement plus or minus a reasonable allowance on either
: side, without compromising performance very much". (If I'm wrong
: about this, someone please jump in)

: In any event, at 215 lbs, plus boat weight of 45 lbs, I am pushing the upper
: limit of the designer's recommended optimum capacity for the Endeavour
: (150 to 260 lbs). If I bring along a sandwich, I'll be over. And yet I
: have 2-3 inches of freeboard to the sheer when sitting in the otherwise
: empty boat. A 105 lb person with no gear would be at the bottom end of
: that range, and I'm guessing they'd barely be denting the water. You
: wouldn't push the boat to the bottom, but you might not feel very
: comfortable in it, and you probably wouldn't want to load it up with 3
: weeks worth of camping gear.

: The recommended capacity for the True North is 300 to 460 lbs.

The designed displacement of the Endeavour with a 4" draft is 280lbs. Deduct about 50lbs for the weight of the kayak and the paddler and gear weight required to bring the boat down to the 4" depth is 230lbs. Each additional 97lbs will sink the boat an extra 1".

The Endeavour should be able to handle Chuck without problem but he may be more comfortable in a higher volume boat like the True North.

Glen in Baie-St-Paul.