VARDO is one of those good all around boats. It has a higher volume than Curlew and more cockpit volume. It is roomy higher volume boat that you can spend extended periods of time in comfortably. It’s easy to move your legs into a new position so you don’t cramp up. With the addition of hatches it would be a great boat for camping.
When I created my design goals I made a list based on posting in several kayak forums. I kept seeing over and over basically the same want list for a boat. Around 17 foot long, stable and enough storage for some weekend camping.
At 17 foot long and 24″ wide with a Stability Factor of 98 you should feel very comfortable in this boat. This will be a good boat for a new paddler wanting something larger than Curlew and will not be a boat you will outgrow either. Even though it is a larger boat the resistance figures show VARDO is no slouch. Curlew has lower resistance at the normal paddling speeds VARDO does not feel slow on the water. It is actually performs very well and the roomy cockpit and stability make it a very comfortable boat to paddle.
All figures based on a 250 lb total displacement
Length over all * 17 foot 0 inches * Beam overall * 24 inches
STABILITY FACTOR = 98
RESISTANCE CHART
