Description
Older NDK Romany Explorer 17'6" with skeg, foot pump. Minimal hull scrapes (mostly sandy beaches) but deck gel coat has orange peel texture in some areas which happened one summer stored outdoors in heat and humidity (never stored in sun, usually indoors), scrapes from paddle more cosmetically noticeable. Foot pump is so much nicer than dealing with hand pump. Replaced VCP day hatch cover which rots out quickly in Florida heat/sun with long lasting Sealect hatch cover. Local pickup only Venice, Fl.
Two things just JUMP OUT about this boat. First, it is built like a tank. There is more fiberglass here than at a Corvette show. Second, it goes straight and fast. The sharp bow and long stern keep a course so you can really pull on the paddle without wasting energy on course-correcting, even without the skeg. The Explorer version is a tradeoff that gives up a bit of maneuverability for speed, but still very forgiving and maneuverable. A favorite teaching kayak.
This is a Romany Explorer with the rope skeg. Has built in foot pump. The boat is a bit older but it is in time-warp condition. Collecting dust last several years. As a Florida sand beaches kayak it has the hull scratches you'd get with a weekend paddling in rocky Maine. Sea-lect day hatch (won't rot out like the original)
From Seakayaker magazine — "... What was likely more important to those readers who voted for the Explorer was its ability to handle the rough conditions that you’re more exposed to the farther you paddle. In our review of the Explorer, one of our test paddlers took on 30-knot winds and 3-foot waves and concluded: “The handling in stronger winds and the behavior in confused seas are addressed admirably by this kayak.” A second reviewer, after paddling the Explorer in 20-knot winds and 2-foot waves, wrote simply: “It makes sloppy conditions uneventful.” You couldn’t ask for more.
