Anyone have a kayak that fits in the bow hull?

[Chat de Mer]

We have a FP Belize (43') and want to get one or two kayaks. Has anyone had success with storing a kayak in the bow hull of a similar-sized cat? I've seen that some fold, but the prices go very high. We'd like to get something a little better than a cheap inflatable, and it seems like a 9-foot kayak could fit in the hull, but we are wondering whether it could turn the corner at the stairs going into the hull. Storing a kayak on deck seems problematic as we wouldn't want to cart it back and forth from home, and it seems like too tempting a toy to leave on the boat deck...not to mention adding to windage. Any reports on experiences with kayaks on a similar boat would be appreciated!

[44'cruisingcat]

I've seen some kayak storage rack setups above the davits. Look like about the best option to me.


Or a decent quality inflatable. Some of them are pretty good.

[the_alpine]

Inflatables will fit no problem.

[thomm225]

A folding kayak would be very nice but they do get expensive.

Mine is a 16'6" Folbot Cooper that I keep on deck on my Bristol 27.

I owned it before I bought my sailboat. My sailboat cost me $200.00 more than the kayak!

In the offseason, I take it apart and put it back into the backpack that it came in

Maybe you could find a used Klepper, Folbot, or Feathercraft.

WisperÂ*»Â*Feathercraft

[model 10]

We carried 2 hard shell whitewater kayaks around inside our boat for a couple of years. You can get them in just about any length from 6' on up. The really short ones are slow.

[Captain Bill]

Look at the advanced elements advanced frame kayaks. These are not blow up toy boats and take little space when deflated. They are also quite stable. The only issue I have seen with them is my personal size. I'm a 6ft tall and have size 12 eee feet. The room at the front between the inflation chambers squeezes my feet and after an hour or so I'm very uncomfortable. My wife on the other hand is 5'10 and has 9b feet and has no problem. They are worth taking a look at if you don't throw away the shoes and wear the boxes.

[wongai64]

Hi Chat de Mer
I also have a Belize 43 .. Storing a kayak in the bow cabin will be problematic to say the least .. I store my kite and surf gear up there tho.
I have two kayaks stored on deck .. They rest up along the lifelines on the staunch ions aft of the shrouds .. I have security leashes keeping them safe and have had no problem all thru SE Asia. I also find they are great in foul weather for a bit of spray protection.


Once freedom has exploded in the soul of a man, the gods have no more power over him -
Jean-Paul Sartre

[Jonno732]

We've got a kayak rack on top of the davits on our Mahe, but saw this the other day. Might be an option.....
https://gearjunkie.com/pakayak-nesting-kayak

[Double-Wide]

I carried my 2 person hard shell kayak on the fore deck of my 38' Seawind cat without any problem. The boat was 20' wide and the kayak only 14'. Used the mooring cleats as lashing points. Very easy to launch over the bow. Worked great.


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[thinwater]

We carry 2 x 10' kayaks on top of the davits. Out of the way.

[mikereed100]

You won't be able to get a decent sized kayak into your hulls without power tools. I feel your pain as we have the same dilemma. We have a large, 2 person kayak that we use when landing in the surf (almost daily) or when we are too lazy to launch the dinghy. It used to live on the davits but got displaced by the stand up paddleboards. Now we just lay it on the side deck which makes it easy to launch, but hard to get around. On passage we lay it on the trampoline but it is hard to launch from there. Looking at other options such as a good inflatable that could be stowed on passage.

[Krabimike]

This isn't inflatable but I thought it was a good idea. Rather then have them strapped on the deck.

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[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

Look at the advanced elements advanced frame kayaks. These are not blow up toy boats and take little space when deflated. They are also quite stable. The only issue I have seen with them is my personal size. I'm a 6ft tall and have size 12 eee feet. The room at the front between the inflation chambers squeezes my feet and after an hour or so I'm very uncomfortable. My wife on the other hand is 5'10 and has 9b feet and has no problem. They are worth taking a look at if you don't throw away the shoes and wear the boxes.

Follow up: I just followed a link to the advanced elements page and they now have a version of the same kayak that is 5 inches longer. "to provide more comfort for taller paddlers" they say. It's an extra $50 but probably worth it if you are taller than average.