River King Catarafts

2011 River King PD14R - 14' tubes, 8' frame

New for 2011:

* The upper decks are now made from tough 5/8" marine plywood slats for improved load capacity. We found that some of our angling customers were standing on the upper decks for better visibility and casting range. And we know our institutional customers such as state agencies and universities like to mount gear on them. So, this year we made the upper decks beefy enough to support almost anything you could put up there. The cedar-stained marine ply looks great and with a hot sun beating down the wood surface doesn't get nearly as hot as the lighter duty King Starboard^tm panels that we used last year.

* One piece spars for 2011 now run the full length of the frame under each edge of both upper decks. These four full-length spars make for a seriously stiffer frame and simplify assembly. While the longer spars may be somewhat harder to transport because of their length they're still only as long as the frame, just like the four lower deck PVC rods. Usually, these can all be bundled together for trasnport. If you keep your cataraft assembled during the season and trailer it as many do - or if you have the means to transport these longer one-piece spars, such as on a roof rack - then that's the way to go. With this new approach you'll have fewer parts to deal with and it will take less time to put your frame together. Note that the spars can still be ordered in smaller joinable lengths for those who have length restrictions for transport.

* Cross-braces - the one by two inch black rectangular aluminum tubes that span across the rowing frame - will be available in a new configuration this year - as an assembly that includes a pair of our standard cross-braces supporting a removable carpeted bench seat. With the stronger one-piece spars described above, a pair of these bench seats add tremendous strength and torsional rigidity to the frame. One more change: the standard (or bench seat) cross-braces will now fit any diameter tubes from 23 through 28 inches. (Last year we provided different cross-braces for each diam tube.) This change should reduce the time to ship your order and it also means you can purchase different size tubes in the future and your frame will still fit them.

* Our new 2011 oarstand is even stronger and with a wider base. The material is 1/4" thick 6061-T6 aluminum formed using a process that provides strength under load, especially in the fore-aft axis, but with some springiness in the lateral axis to push back against impact - like when you jam an oar. These new oastands mount to a sliding plate below the upper decks slats with two screws through the gap between any two upper deck slats. The oarstands can not only be mounted anywhere along the upper decks but can also to be adjusted side-to-side. This turns out to be a great way to easily adjust the feel of the oars for any rower's size and strength - and you can adjust them from the rowing seat.

* The lower deck cedar slats are now stained to match the new upper deck marine plyood. Until now we never treated the lower decks because the clear western red cedar that we use holds up so well by itself. The new marine ply upper decks are not as weather-proof as the cedar so we now treat both the upper and lower decks so they match visually. And the treated cedar lower decks will last even longer and will absorb less water during use. We use a semi-transparent oil-based stain that gives good UV protection but still lets some wood grain come through.

Check out our RIVER-READY PACKAGES and PRICING or call today at at the number below to discuss your particular watercraft needs.

You should be able to find everything you need by clicking one of the links on the left. If you have any problems navigating or finding something please call or email using the addresses at the bottom of this page.

Thanks, Ray Pelland