Maiden Voyage
I am not sure who was more excited me or Tim(my training partner) over the arrival of the new Stellar double(SE2). The SE2 is just one of the new models coming out for Stellar this year. My previous experience in doubles was demoing two popular models after the Sakonnet River Race 2010. At all the local races Mark/Sean and Steve/Jim looked like they were having more fun than the rest of us in our singles. Not sure if they really were, but it left a lasting impression on me, that I needed to try a double. So when I heard that Stellar was coming out with one, I made sure the I got a demo in the Excel layup(39lbs).
So on a cold New England day with snow on the ground, Tim and I outfitted the SE2 with the rudder, velcro(to prevent paddle strikes), adjusted both foot plates, and jury rigged our Garmins on the boat while our feet were slowly getting cold through our Muklucks and thick wool socks. Standing around in my garage for 45 minutes while doing this, predicted that our feet would be numb after about 80 minutes on the water. Nevertheless, our numb feet were well worth a ride in the SE2.
I suggested to Tim that we do a time trial on one of my courses so we could get a real feel for the boat’s speed. We punched our Garmins and off we went from McCorrie Point headed to 3rd Rock, 5.7 miles, a course that mirrors the Sakonnet River Race. The total trip would be 11.5 miles. After a minute of getting used to Tim’s stroke rate, (I was in the back), we quickly were moving the ski at a 7.3 mph on a super flat day. As we settled in, we averaged between 6.6 mph on the first leg and 7.3 on the return trip. While we both had our heart rate monitors on, it was clear we were both tired from the previous days training. Nevertheless, we were pushing hard on this maiden voyage and enjoying every minute of it. We were having a blast!! Now it became clear to me that Mark, Sean, Steve, Jim were having more fun then the rest of us in their doubles.
The characteristics of the boat exceeded our expectations. It is very stable, very fast, and very light. Oh and very FUN! The boat itself is 24ft and 7 inches with a narrow beam of 18.9 inches and weighs only 39 lbs. The beauty of any stable ski is that you are able to concentrate on your stroke and paddling vice keeping the boat upright. To our surprise their was no hint of twitchiness, so we just kept paddling hard and were becoming more excited as we speculated how well we might do in some of the races. We also thought about how nice it is to break up our training with a double’s paddle once a week. To my surprise I realized was that we were working harder in the double than in our singles.
Other positive characteristics of the ski is that it tracks very well and turns very quickly. It almost turned as sharp as a single as we round a buoy. The cockpit is what you might expect from the Stellar boats, very low hump which can accomodate any length of paddler, appropiately sized seat for most “average size” paddlers, and a footplate that is the best in the industry. The built in paddle leash attachement is a standard on all Stellar skis as well as the raised back deck, and curved area that joins the footwell to the foredeck both increasing the structural integrity of the ski. The seat height is nice so you don’t feel you are “down” in the bucket and the gunwales are low making remounts more easy. The only drawback I found was that water drains slowly from the footwell. Once up to training pace there is little water if any in the footwell, however, sitting still, the ski takes on a fair amount of water.
So overall the SE2 was an absolute pleasure to paddle. Paddling a stable, fast, light, comfortable tandem only wetted my whistle for the sheer fun I expect to have in it this season. As the weather warms we will continue to take it through its paces in true ocean conditions. But until then we will paddle it when we can despite cold feet, drysuits, pogies, knowing that spring is only a few months off!!
2nd Time Out
This time out was similar in almost everyway except Tim’s heart rate was about 10 beats on average than mine. We were also out running the tiny waves on the Sakonnet. What I also noticed was that from my position in the back was that I can give Tim excellent feed back on his stroke! The double is an excellent training tool for improving your stroke; 1) If you are open to your partner suggestions, then you can quickly make improvements based on his observations 2) It offers a stable platform for working on your stroke mechanics.
While the slow draining can be an issue, I found by installing a drain bullet on one of my SES’s that this helps drain the water particularly while decelerating by 25-30%. I expect the same amount of improvement on the double. I have not had it out yet in 2ft-3ft waves to see how it performs in these conditions.
