Mariner Elan

I now have the Mariner Elan mentioned in the July 18, 2026 post. It has the Mariner rear watertight hatch. John Abercrombie then added a front hatch and spiffed it up to his usual standards. There are no foot pegs, so your feet rest against the front bulkhead. This is very nice, allowing your feet room to roam around. John put in several pads which can be placed against the front bulkhead allowing a user to fit the cockpit length as desired. I moved the seat back one set of holes for myself and will soon zero in on what pads I need for my desired cockpit length (maybe none?). The rear hatch is quite large and has a large opening as well. I can fit my largest kayak trolley into the hatch, impossible on any of my prior singles.

Because of an old ski injury, I have a missing disc in my lower back. I require support from the back band which must be firmly vertical and high enough. The existing backband is inadequate for me. Rather than mess with the current backband, I carved some minicell chunks to provide that support, while leaving the current backband in place. 

What comes next? A test drive within the next few days. There is a possibility I will like it as much as my Boreal Design Ellesmere. The simplicity of having neither a rudder nor a skeg is very attractive. The Elan is slightly heavier, but is still a manageable 51 pounds (with hatch covers and seat).