Folding Kayaks Forum

I'm considering a Quest 135, but I'm wondering how long I can expect set-up to take once I'm experienced enough to not need the manual every time.
I know the first several time will take longer, but my goal is to find a kayak I can keep in my car and set up on-site within a half hour.
Any help is appreciated
Michael

With practice, pretty much every boat can be assembled well with that time.

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Michael Edelman
FoldingKayaks.org Webmaster

The Pakboat might be a quicker setup than my Feathercraft Kurrent. I can assemble the Kurrent in about 35 minutes but it's not something I'd want to do very often or if I were only going to be out on the water for a couple of hours before having to take it down and stow it.

If I'm really focussed with no bystanders, I can just about assemble my 135 in 30 mins in ideal conditions (so not 30 degrees Celsius in the shade with high humidity!)

But then there's getting dressed for the water etc

Bystanders = lots of questions = overlooking key steps

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Simon

Feathercraft Wisper, First light 420, Fujita Alpina AL-1 400, Incept k40 (4sale),Nautiraid Narak 460, 416 & K1 (sold my 550), Pakboats Quest 135, TRAK 2.0
Wanted:original Advanced Elements Air Fusion
Cape Falcon F1. Beth, Hobie AI

mje, Jake, siravingmon thank you all for your help.

Because I have lakes near my home and work, my hope was to find a kayak that could stay in my car everyday and allow me to get in the water quickly. I was worried I might have my hopes set too high but if I can get in and out in an hour (with practice) I think the Quest is on my short list.

The Quest takes apart and packs in under 10 mins if you don't need to dry it first. It also dries quickly as the sponsons are free floating

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Simon

Feathercraft Wisper, First light 420, Fujita Alpina AL-1 400, Incept k40 (4sale),Nautiraid Narak 460, 416 & K1 (sold my 550), Pakboats Quest 135, TRAK 2.0
Wanted:original Advanced Elements Air Fusion
Cape Falcon F1. Beth, Hobie AI

Might be a good time to review Ralph Diaz' assembly hints:

http://www.foldingkayaks.org/WP/?page_id=31

My girlfriend and I can do a Klepper double in under 20 minutes, working at an easy pace. I can do a Folbot Aleut or Yukon in 10 minutes or so.

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Michael Edelman
FoldingKayaks.org Webmaster

I traveled with my Puffin2 on the canals in France, breaking it down every night. I was able to reliably do it in under 15 minutes.

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Chris T.
~'91 Klepper A2 w/ BSD schooner rig.
'64 Klepper Passat/Tradewind and T12 restoration projects.
Non-folding: Early '90s Old Town Canoe.
Previously owned '04 Pakboat Puffin II and '05 Swift (prototype), as well as an '84 Hobie 16.

I appreciate all the help. I'm planning to purchase the quest soon.

I might be a little late, but can assemble my Quest 155 in about that time at a fairly casual pace. At their current price I don't think you can go wrong with the Quest 135.

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Pakboats Quest 155.

'I actually read the Bible quite frequently. Can I tell you why? I stay in a lot of hotels. And I like to scare my kids before bed.' Jon Stewart

I timed myself assembling my Aerieus II today in 89 degree weather- took me 25 minutes. Disassembly and packing took 7 minutes.

The key, as Ralph reminds us, is to do it exactly the same way every time. Lay out all the pieces before you start.

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Michael Edelman
FoldingKayaks.org Webmaster

I ordered my Quest 135 today!

Yay! I'm sure you'll enjoy every minute of it! Do check in with us when you assemble it for the first time to make sure yours has the later seat height OR how to (very easily) lower if it still has the higher seat height of the first production models

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Simon

Feathercraft Wisper, First light 420, Fujita Alpina AL-1 400, Incept k40 (4sale),Nautiraid Narak 460, 416 & K1 (sold my 550), Pakboats Quest 135, TRAK 2.0
Wanted:original Advanced Elements Air Fusion
Cape Falcon F1. Beth, Hobie AI

Just got back from my first out of town trip with the Quest 135 I bought in March. By now the steps are embedded in my brain I was able to set it up on Sunday in 30 minutes, BUT I already had the coaming installed on the deck (I just fold the deck over and lay it in the back of the car.) That saved a few minutes of fussing. I can deconstruct and pack it up in 12 minutes.
Since the Quests have been discontinued (a real shame since they are super nice boats) I presume you are buying either a used one or one of the last demos the factory has? Be aware that they don't come with any foot pegs. You can either buy the inflatable type they make for the Puffins, or invest $80 in the rigid assemblies (which I did and recommend.) It is possible to paddle without foot support since you can push your feet and knees against the frame and skin, but if you want any speed and best control, having a firm platform for your feet to push off while paddling is really best.
Another tip for assembly is to have a piece of closed cell foam to kneel on. One of those skinny gardening kneeling pads works well or just a 2x 2 foot square scrap of ensolite sleeping bag pad or yoga mat.
Also the Pakboat instructions leave a great deal to be desired so don't hesitate to ask for help on here if you run into confusion in the process. Apathizer and Siravingmon, Quest owners who post on here, were both a big help to me in my early experiences with mine. The most troubling thing about first assembly is the flexible joint in the middle of the keel bar. Don't fret about it -- just let it bend wherever it lands as you install the ribs. When the last one is locked into place the whole assembly will magically straighten. Another important tip -- make sure that all the black plastic "hooks" along the keel bar are oriented to stick straight up BEFORE you start installing any of the ribs. Assemble the shock corded bar and then twist each segment to align them before putting it into the skin.
Inflating the sponson tubes by mouth is a real pain due to the fact that they didn't stagger them. Be sure you have the hand pump to do that. Don't inflate them completely if you are going to be transporting the kayak in hot weather or leaving it sit out of the water on a hot day. It's a bit of an annoyance to have to peel back the deck to access the valves to inflate them fully before paddling (which the boat definitely needs for best performance) but it can be done fairly quickly.
You need a set of inflatable flotation bags to fill in the voids under the deck for safe paddling in rough and/or deep water. I use a pair of Harmony brand bags. Same provisos apply for inflating them on hot days. I've ruptured a sponson in the past by failing to open the valve to partially deflate it on a hot day. They can be repaired (Pakboat includes a nice little repair kit with the boat), but it's a nuisance that is easily avoided in most cases.
Actually, if the rain holds off today I may set up the Quest again (I hauled it back from New York yesterday packed down in the duffel.) If I do so I will shoot a series of assembly photos and closeups, both for my own edification and to post on here to help other owners with the process.

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Current:
Feathercraft Wisper
Pakboat Quest 135
Pakboat Puffin 12
Pakboat Swift 14
Greenland SOF
P & H Easky 15LV
Previous:
Feathercraft Kahuna
Feathercraft K-1 Expedition
Pakboat XT-15

Looking forward to he photos, Kerry!

I think I've mentioned before that If you have short legs, the cross rib by your ankles makes a great heel rest, but protect the hull by having a thin layer of closed cell urethane mat under the keel, as Kerry has suggested elsewhere

Great tip! Hugely important! If you've put Boeshield lubricant on the joints it helps too, as I think Kerry and others have already mentioned somewhere

...and I at least couldn't get enough air pressure in the tubes the one time I forgot my pump (grrrrrr)

Be careful not to over-tighten the valves, as they will be even harder to undo under pressure, so you may (as I did once) detach the sponson from the valve seat - impossible to repair in my experience, which means a new sponson (note that the left and right ones are not the same but mirror images of each other). A dob of silicone lubricant from e.g. a dive shop helps seal the valves without needing to tighten them so much

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Simon

Feathercraft Wisper, First light 420, Fujita Alpina AL-1 400, Incept k40 (4sale),Nautiraid Narak 460, 416 & K1 (sold my 550), Pakboats Quest 135, TRAK 2.0
Wanted:original Advanced Elements Air Fusion
Cape Falcon F1. Beth, Hobie AI