insideout
review and photos by Tim Shuff the Stratus 18 by CURRENT DESIGNS
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Say you put on your mad-kayak- designer’s wig and lab coat and head into your workshop with your hacksaw. Then you slice the hull off a flatwater racing kayak and glue it to the deck of an expedition touring boat, com- plete with rubber hatch covers, deck lines, bungees, rudder and grab handles.
When the glue fumes cleared you would have something like the new Current Designs Stratus 18. This slim speedster fits into a hybrid category of boats that designer Dave Kruger calls “light performance touring.” It’s a crossbred racehorse for the pad- dler whose main focus is speed— racing and training—but who also wants to be able to go on multi-day tours.
Every element of the Stratus’ design reveals some concession to speed. The hull looks like a large javelin sliced down the middle. It has the smooth rounded cross section of a racing kayak or row- ing shell—no vee-bottomed keel or chines which would only add surface area and drag. There is virtually no rocker and the water- line extends almost all the way to the nearly plumb bow. Kruger chose a Swede-form shape (widest part of the hull behind the midpoint) for maximum glide. The dimensions of the Stratus meet most kayak racing specifica- tions, so it will fit into the expedi- tion kayak category at your local adventure race and be one of the fastest hulls in the field. On calm
water we were able to sustain a top speed of seven knots. The Stratus is ideally suited to calm waters. Current Designs calls it a “quietwater” hull design because it stands in stark contrast to seagoing kayaks that have buoyant, upswept bows to ride through waves and rockered and hard-chine hulls for easy turning. However, where flatwater rac- ing and training kayaks typically have large, open cockpits and lit- tle or no dry storage, the Stratus is a fully decked kayak that can be paddled in rough conditions. Locked into the standard-sized touring cockpit with a spray skirt on, we were able to easily scull, brace and roll. The Stratus’ rounded hull
cross-section results in a stability profile that is best suited for expe- rienced paddlers. Secondary sta- bility felt consistent and neutral through all degrees of lean; there was no obvious point where the hull resisted efforts to roll it on edge, a feature that can equal good performance in rough seas. The Stratus tracks straight due to its long waterline and minimal rocker, so the rudder comes in handy for turning and also helps prevent weathercocking in cross and quartering winds.
The Stratus 18 comes in two sizes: a standard version that would fit medium to large pad- dlers well, and a high-volume version suitable for extra-large paddlers or those seeking maxi- mum capacity for long trips.
1Rubber’s not just for Brits
The bow hatch is sealed by a 9.5-inch round Kajaksport rubber cover as well as a hard plastic outer cover that straps flush to the deck. The second cover also protects the rubber hatch from UV rays and spray and keeps the Stratus’ racy lines tidy. Front and rear grab handles are kept from flop- ping by bungees attached to the reflective decklines. Current Designs also includes a painter line for tether- ing this racehorse.
2Sumptuous saddle Top-quality cockpit features round out the package. A long seat base pro- vides exceptional leg support. The Current Designs rubber-padded back- band encourages an aggressive pad- dling stance. Aluminum foot pegs con- trol the rudder. Instead of thigh sup- ports extending into the cockpit open- ing there is thigh padding under the coaming. This cockpit design favours spaciousness and ease of entry and exit rather than a tight, controlled fit.
3Introducing the superhatch
In a Swede-form hull, the widest part of the boat is behind the paddler, adding extra capacity to the stern hatch. The Stratus has an enormous 21-inch-long hatch cover to match— the largest rubber cover we’ve ever seen. We were able to drop a big duf- fel bag straight through the opening, and were impressed when it stayed powder dry.
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length: ................................18 ft width:............................21.75 in depth: ............................11.25 in weight: ......................50 lb glass ..............................46 lb Kevlar cockpit:........................33 x 17 in MSRP:..............$3,599 Cdn glass ........................$2,699 US glass ....................$4,132 Cdn Kevlar ......................$3,099 US Kevlar
www.cdkayak.com ADVENTUREkayakmag.com 37
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