Inside Out the Solstice GT Titan BY CURRENT DESIGNS
SPECS length:
width: depth: weight:
cockpit:
17 ft 7 in (5.4 m) 24.25 in (61.6 cm) 15.87 in (40.3 cm)
55 lb fibreglass (24.95 kg) 50 lb Kevlar (22.68 kg)
35 x 17.5 in (88.9 x 44.45 cm)
rear hatch: 22.5 x 12.5 in (57.15 x 31.75 cm) forward hatch: 14.5 x 9.5 in (36.83 x 24.13 cm) total volume: 18.76 cu. ft. (531 litres)
MSRP: Zzzzzzz.
>> SURELY THE HARDEST PART about crossing an ocean in a sea kayak is sleeping. When Ed Gillet paddled from California to Hawaii in 1987, he resorted to using a double kayak so he’d have room to snooze. Other voy- ages, like Peter Bray’s 2001 Atlantic crossing or the 2007 Crossing the Ditch expedition from Australia to New Zea- land (underway as I write this) have spent big bucks on custom-made kayaks with sealed cabins. The last person to attempt a long crossing in a standard single kayak was Andrew McAuley, who tried to paddle from Tasmania to New Zealand this past December. He was so miserable sleeping in the cockpit of his Mirage single that he had to abort after his first night. Pity that none of these adven- turers had had the spacious luxury of a Current Designs GT Titan. Despite the Dagwood sandwich proportions (take a
look at the extra depth along the seam) the Titan’s foot- print on the water is that of a normal boat. The Titan is essentially just a “double high-volume” cut of a Solstice GT hull—same length and width with an extra inch and a half of depth to give it 30 per cent more volume. The Titan retains the performance characteristics that
have made the Solstice GT one of the best-selling boats of all time—stability, speed, reasonable manoeuvrability. The noticeable effect is high windage, but this is a small concern for the very large paddlers and loads this boat is meant for. The shallow-V bottom is nearly flat at the cockpit and
results in rock-solid initial stability worthy of a fishing or filming (or sleeping) platform. Our Titan bobbed above the water like a cork when load-
ed with average-sized paddlers and their gear. We conclud- ed that the larger the paddler, the heavier the load, the bet- ter. We imagine a multitude of uses for what is surely one of the world’s largest production singles: long expeditions, cross-border drug trafficking, eco-friendly international shipping, wilderness programs for Overeaters Anonymous, “mothership” services for friends with small boats, and of course, a brilliant new solution for slumbering at sea. —T.S.
$2,899 US fibreglass $3,349 US Kevlar
www.cdkayak.com
DID WE MENTION BIG?
We loaded the Titan for a weekend by haphazardly dumping in the en- tire contents of our camping and kayaking storage bins, and we still had room for all the extra gear that our friends couldn’t fit in their Green- land boats. Then, at the campsite, this scary stowaway popped out of the rear hatch and said, “Wow, these Current Designs’ hatch covers are perfectly dry.”
GIGANTIC IS BEAUTIFUL
The sleek and practical deck layout features colour-matched, flush-mount hatch covers, reflective deck lines and recessed deck fittings. The extra- large cockpit opening and standard wide-base seat meet the needs of a rapidly “growing” population.
STEADY FEET
A glimpse inside reveals flawless Kev- lar layup, glued plastic bulkheads and the Sea-Dog foot brace system whose pivoting pedal allows the rud- der to be controlled without sliding the feet.
ADVENTURE KAYAK |
| 43
MAIN PHOTO: VICTORIA BOWMAN // DETAIL PHOTOS: TIM SHUFF
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52