glad Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 After a few more neck problems and the prospect of lugging around a heavy boat, I have happily caved and am going to order a carbon/kevlar layup on my next boat...in two days (!!).It was difficult to put a bladder behind my seat because of the foaming configuration. I currently have enough space in front of my feet to put a 2.5 gallon water bladder and am tempted to keep that space (though I am wasting the distance between the bladder and the underside of the deck). I was impressed at how much gear I could fit in my Pilgrim Expedition this past season but perhaps more hatch space the better?I would appreciate your thoughts on the matter.Thanks,Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfolster Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Hi Karen! Seems like your question is not so much about specifically how far (any boat builder should know where to put the bulk head based on your inseam) but whether or not to do a custom bulkhead verses a standard bulkhead (which I assume you have now). Here is what I am to understand are the pros and cons to a custom bulkhead:Pros:- More comfortable foot support than foot pegs (totally a personal opinion)- More storage room in front hatch- Less water in cockpit during rescues after wet exitCons:- Might possibly make resale a little bit more difficult.... maybe- Ability to fill front hatch more may cause boat trim imbalance- Water bladder stored in front hatch may leak and get your stuff wetI personally believe that the Pros outweigh the Cons considerably and you should do the custom bulkhead. I have not done it to mine yet (got talked out of it when having other work done) and regret it. I will definitely be getting a custom bulk head on my next boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Sylvester Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 (edited) Height of seat, thigh foam and foredeck should be considered if pulling it back too far . Do you use footpegs? I would allow a little if you foam the bulkhead because you want your foot angle correct. If you are trying to go tight can you sit in similar boats and get a sense for what the right dimension might be? edit.....a 2-1/2 gallon jug space is a lot of space in front of the footpegs. How often do you need the jug there? I keep my bulkheads tighter am fine with a dromedary set under my knees if its not too rough out. Edited March 31, 2015 by Paul Sylvester Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leong Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Karen,Before you move a forward bulkhead aft for comfortable foot bracing you might consider Onno’s Foot Bar Kit for Non-Ruddered boats ($75.00). This solution won’t decrease the resale value when you sell your boat.-Leon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leong Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 (edited) Nada Edited March 31, 2015 by leong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Karen, yes i'd second all the advice here. It is a personal choice with Rob pretty much enumerating the pros and cons,: you just have to weigh your own pros and cons.I would never put a water container in my own front compartment however; too much weight forward and that compartment is where I keep all my light and must-stay-dry stuff; clothes, sleeping bag , hypo kit etc. I guess I would give a first long look at the custom bulkhead (placement is easy to figure out as Rob said) , assess whether i can carry the water I need with that setup (meaning: in the cockpit between the legs and/or behind the seat, or in one of the rear compartments) and if I can't figure that all out I'd then give more serious thought to the standard bulkhead and storing water in front tof the footpegs.Storing water in front of footpegs might possibly be bad for boat trim to begin with (depends on the boat and some other things) , so keep that in mind as well . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 As Paul mentioned having a Drometary bag just in front of the seat is very comfy for the knees and puts weight is a nice place for trim. Unles special ordered, I believe NDK is the only one that still has as standard a nice FG seat that makes a backband seldom if ever needed. Which in turn means you can put a Drometary bag behind the seat, which is another good location for heavy objects and have something cushy to lie back on when you want. I can see the pros of the foam insert as opposed to the backband, but on trips I prefer being able to use all the space behind the seat and the foam blocks really cut down on the useable space there.As Peter said, too much weight in the front compartment can make for an obnoxious ride so while the extra space created by moving the bulkhead is great, just be careful of what you put in there. Be there on 2 mile crossing and had bow constantly diving to extent front hatch partially underwater. Not fun.Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glad Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 Thanks everyone for your input. Very appreciated. I forgot to mention that I would intend on using a light board across my foot pegs and currently there is 7" between the foot peg and the bulk head. It's good for a water bladder since the seat has a large foam block behind it preventing much of any gear to be stowed there. Also, the idea of resale and another person possibly using the boat were considerations. Just pulled the trigger and will wait for the final product. Very exciting!Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Thanks everyone for your input. Very appreciated. I forgot to mention that I would intend on using a light board across my foot pegs and currently there is 7" between the foot peg and the bulk head. It's good for a water bladder since the seat has a large foam block behind it preventing much of any gear to be stowed there. Also, the idea of resale and another person possibly using the boat were considerations. Just pulled the trigger and will wait for the final product. Very exciting!KarenIf you change your mind you can always have Carl change it out. He does a great job where you can't tell if it's factory or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katherine Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I 2nd the recommendation for Carl! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josko Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 IMHO, space in front compartment is much more valuable (for camping) than space in the cockpit, so it makes sense to move it as far aft as possible. Generally that means resting feet on the bulkhead when forward paddling ('loose stance') and moving aft to foot pegs when needing to 'lock' the legs.I also use dromedaries for water and find I can always crown a few around the seat, or failing that, at the fore end of the day compartment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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