Introduction from KataKanu
With more than 400 boats sold and tens of thousands of people enjoying a KataKanu experience every year, the KataKanu is proving itself to be a great family boat and a valuable addition to any organisations fleet.
It is not possible to have a boat that will do everything, and finding the balance between specialist and compromised is a difficult trick to pull off! The design brief for the KataKanu was safety, a reassuring, professional appearance, versatility and cost-effective delivery.
The finished product has far exceeded this brief! A main stream boat used by one of the country’s leading Holiday Village companies, also used by special educational needs groups and youth organisations, proves the boats appeal across a wide spectrum of needs and interests.
Proof of the KataKanu’s versatility and cost effectiveness, can been seen in the increasing number of providers now operating fleets of 6 plus boats.
Intended for use on canals, rivers, lakes, estuaries and sheltered coastal water, the KataKanu was carefully designed to track well, whilst retaining its manoeuvrability and to hold sufficient buoyancy to support its intended load even if the seating areas are flooded!
The KataKanu is a truly versatile craft. We are particularly proud that the same boat is enjoyed by all sorts of people all wanting differing outcomes from the experience. Inclusion for all abilities is a key requirement for many activity providers and we are delighted that the KataKanu does this with ease and little to no adaptation.
Here is a link if you would like to visit KataKanu’s website: http://www.katakanu.com/
KataKanu Specifications and Construction
A Katakanu seats up to 6 people with a maximum load of 450 kilograms. They are rotational moulded in polyethylene; it is a sit on top style encapsulating 800 litres of air making it buoyant even if the seating areas are flooded.
Dimensions:
- 5 meters long
- 2 meters wide
- 60cm high
- Weighs 100kg
For its construction, the KataKanu is made from polyethylene, this is a tough material, but so is steel and you wouldn’t jump on your car! It is a twin wall construction encapsulating 800 litres of air.
Who built it?
Ian White is an all-round competition canoeist, he has enjoyed taking part in all types of events, white water, flat rivers and on the open sea, both sprint racing and marathons. He has been paddling around in canoes and kayaks since the age of ten and first competed for Great Britain 6 years later when 1973 he and his partner won the notorious Liffey descent. He competed at the junior World Sprint Championships in 1975 and went on to win a few classic canoe races including the Devizes to Westminster 125 mile marathon & the Arctic Canoe Race, all 350 miles of it!! For the past 40 years it would be unusual for him not to have paddled over a thousand miles a year. As well as building KataKanus, Ian still works 2 days a week coaching youngsters to take part in the Devizes to Westminster Race.
Canoe2 using KataKanu’s
Here at Canoe2 we love using our Katakanu’s here on the lake, we a have a fleet of 5 (in colours of red, blue, green, yellow and orange). They are great fun to hire for short periods of time as well as for special group events.
Our KataKanu’s get cleaned regularly and are very low maintenance making them a breeze to operate, and touch wood we’ve rarely had any damage done to them.
We use them special group events here on the lake and are great fun for all clients. The safety and stability of the craft make it great for all ages and abilities and means they can all have a good time without the fear of capsizing whilst playing games!
