P&H Dawn Treader Odin evaluation

After the very nice week at Vlieland it was clear that I want to continue sea kayaking.
I was thinking on next steps to take.

The Dawn Treader Odin did a good job as a low budget boat but it would need some serious work to upgrade it to a higher level of safety: foot pump, extra hatch behind the seat for easy emptying, compass. The question is: do I like the boat that much that I would like to do these investments? The answer is no, there are a few points that bother me:

First the stability. Why not change to a more stable boat? There are many good allround boats today that are more stable without sacrifying speed and seakeeping capabilities. Would it not be smarter to get an easier boat? You might say that you can get used to the stability during time but I doubt if I will reach the point that I can eat my sandwich in the waves without using my paddle.

Secondly the fit. The larger cockpit proved to be a loose fit. While upside down I literally fall out the cockpit or it takes a lot of effort to clamp myself in the boat. May be the fit could be improved by adding larger knee braces to the cockpit rim but that will make entry more difficult. A smaller ocean going cockpit seems a solution that is a lot easier. Or a larger keyhole cockpit where I can put my legs in while seated.

Anyway, I had made up my mind and decided to look for another boat. In any case the fit and the initial stability must be better. It didn't take long to find a boat that matches these requirements: an old P&H Orion. With it's ample width the stability must be great and the small cockpit gives a much better fit. The boat had some (ugly) repairs and a foam seat but the bottom was almost without scratches. It was cheap, so I bought it.

Goodbye Dawn Treader Odin

It took some time to sell the Dawn Treader, even for a low price. It is not a popular boat and it wasn't the right season. Finally it founds it's way to someone who is hopefully happy with it.