kayaker’s
journal
INSIDE OUT BY TIM SHUFF The Baffin
THE BAFFIN by Boréal Design is a brand new model inspired by the Ellesmere, the company’s very popu- lar hard-chined Greenland-style kayak that’s known for its edging and ma- noeuvrability. Our local Boréal sales rep claims,
“Tere is currently no other plastic sea kayak on the market which offers the same level of performance in hull design.” Among kayaks of its volume, we agree. Te lines of this boat are beautiful;
you can see the skin-on-frame heritage. It’s perhaps the truest Greenland design available in plastic to date. Te sleek, low rear deck which is al-
most awash in rough seas allows you to lie back for balance bracing and back deck rolling, making the Baffin suitable for practising Greenland manoeuvres. Te low front deck suits a low-angle
G-style stroke and we loved the result- ing positive fit around the thighs. Te cockpit is one inch longer than the Elles- mere’s, facilitating entry and egress for long-legged paddlers. Te bucket seat and padding on the thigh braces are very comfortable, and the adjustable back band soundly supports the lower back without restricting motion.
30 ADVENTURE KAYAK | SPRING 2008 BY BORÉAL DESIGN Te Baffin’s hull is multi-chined with
two distinct lines running up the sides. Boréal’s trademark “reverse chine” curves down toward the keel at the ends to en- hance the turning effect when the boat is on edge. Toward the bow and the stern the shallow-arch keel hardens to a shallow-V and the chines soften, which is perhaps why we observed less of a carving effect on edge than with some hard-chine composite hulls. However, the Baffin is very easy to turn whether it is on edge or not, tending to skid out after you stop paddling, while the skeg counteracts this and would likely stay deployed for long trips. Boréal makes their own hatch cov-
ers out of 100 per cent rubber. Tey are much softer and easier to get on and off than other hatches of this type—a real bonus when fumbling with a day hatch behind your back—yet even the large, easy-to-load stern hatch remained dry after being thumped in surf. Te Baffin is a high-performance, low-
volume kayak best suited as a rolling, playing and day tripping kayak for light- weight paddlers looking for the lower cost and increased durability of plastic.
EASY FIX Boréal’s skeg has a Spectra cord string to pull it up. A shock cord pulls it down when you release the string. Te shock cord isn’t very powerful, so the skeg jams easily, but at least you won’t kink a cable trying to force it down. Te skeg box fully unscrews for easy field repair.
DIAL-A-SKEG Te thermoformed, padded bucket seat and snug, low thigh braces are super comfortable. Te aluminum foot pegs fit a max 34-inch inseam. Many paddlers love the non-traditional skeg dial with numbered settings; its knobs are easy to grip, but a bit painful when you bang your knuckles on them.
SOFT AND DRY Boréal’s hatches are so supple and easy to get on and off, they feel like the soft rubber bulb on an eyedropper. But behold they are also bone dry after a good chundering. Te bow recess accepts an optional Brunton 70p compass.
SPECS length ............17 ft (5.2 m) width .............22.25 in (56.5 cm) depth ............12.5 in (32 cm) cockit ............16 x 31 in (41 x 79 cm) weight ...........60 lb (27.2 kg) dry storage ....44 gal (l69 l) capacity .......90–325 lb (41–147 kg) MSRP .............$1,975 Cdn/$1,835 US
www.Boré
aldesign.com
MAIN PHOTO: VICTORIA BOWMAN // INSET PHOTOS: TIM SHUFF
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