NC 19 Expedition

A few comments about my NC19 that I've owned now for a little more than a year. Like others, i did a lot of research before buying this boat. After paddling surfskis and racing canoes for many years, i wanted to find a boat that i could store a lot of gear, while still having a relatively fast boat. I also wanted a rudder. Ultimately, I decided on the NC-19, light layup, no rudder, with the seat adjust back a little for more leg room (i'm 6' 3", 180). I've been very happy with it so far. This boat tracks straight, regardless of wind or wave direction. That means its a little harder to maneuver, but it leans well and responds well to different paddle strokes. Its actual weight is about 54lbs. I can shoulder the boat easily and comfortably.

The only negative i can find so far is that there isn't enough room in the hull to fit my feet (size 12) comfortably on the foot pegs. However, I fastened a bar (two sleeved pieces of aluminum tubing) between the two pegs, which is essentially a continuous foot brace across the boat. This works great and is still adjustable.

Finally, I was skeptical about the "performance flange", but it serves well as a bumper when pulling up to a dock. Great boat and great service from NC Kayaks when custom ordering.

I am a 72 year old male who got hooked on sea kayaking a few years ago. I had previously owned a recreational kayak and a rotomolded sea kayak. I was searching for a boat I could feel confident in but wanted a lighter faster kayak suitable for ocean travel. After a lot of research and discussion I ordered the NC19 and received it three months ago. I have used it in at least twice a week since then sometimes in windy conditions with strong tidal movement. It felt very comfortable on breaking waves and I had no trouble maintaining my course direction whether the wind was behind me, to my side or heading in. I do not have a skeg or rudder and never felt a need to have one. This boat can hold it's course without the need for either.

The seat is very comfortable even for longer trips. I am 6'2", weigh 215 and have a 13 size shoe. The turning requires a good lean and some practice. I find it easier to roll than my Lookshaw 17. I purchased the lighter layup as I wanted the lighter wight 50 lbs and a faster boat.

The workmanship putting this kayak together is extremely professional and am really impressed as I have some fiberglass repair experience myself.

I would recommend this boat to anyone who is serious about going to the next level of sea kayaking.

The NC-19 Expedition is a wonderful kayak. I live near the Puget Sound in Washington, and this kayak is perfect for this environment. This kayak tracks really well, is stable, and the build quality is fantastic. The worst weather I've had this kayak out in was 40 mph winds with 4-5 foot swells and the boat handled it well, I was able to maneuver, and even turn around, briefly being broadside to the wind, and this was a non-event in this kayak.

I have also found that this kayak is deceptively fast, I find that my normal workout trip takes less time, but I'm not working harder. This kayak is also very forgiving, I was caught unawares by a cabin cruiser wake, he passed way too close to me, from the rear port quarter, I didn't hear him coming and I thought that I was in trouble, but this kayak just took it in stride.

This kayak also can carry 450 pounds, so even though I'm 6 foot and 250 pounds, I can still take 200 pounds of gear for those island hopping camp trips. I also added the optional bulkhead hatch, with this I can load long items (tent, fishing rods, etc.) without disassembling and putting it bit by bit through a top hatch. This kayak also has a day hatch that is accessible from the cockpit, this comes in very handy on longer paddles.

So it's a 10 out of 10 from me, it's fast, light (48 pounds), stable, can carry a lot of gear, tracks well, and is a beautiful kayak. This is about as perfect a touring kayak as I can imagine, I guess that's why they call it "Expedition".

NC 19 Expedition LT Update
I've had my Expedition for over seven months now and I've put a lot of water under its keel, so it's time for an update.

The Expedition continues to surprise me in ways I never expected. I knew all along that the boat is very stable, but along with that, it is just remarkable how the boat acts like it has a gyroscope on board when it comes to confused sloppy conditions. It is actually fun to play around in tide rips where the waves are often quite daunting in a lesser craft. The Expedition leaves no doubt that it can handle anything that I am likely to blunder into.

After an outing in one of my other boats and then switching to the Expedition, I still sometimes have to ask myself if this thing is really faster. I've checked it with the GPS several times and it really isn't even close; the Expedition just slides through the water with such ease.

In my initial review, I mentioned that I had the builder position the seat as far back in the cockpit as it could be. I'm very glad I did; it makes getting in and out much easier and there is no downside to it. The seat itself has got to be one of the best in the industry and is more than just a spot to plant your rear end. Along with being very comfortable and supportive, it is an integral part of the structure of the boat. It obviously creates an additional connection between the hull and deck and serves to stiffen the entire boat. The seat is very solid and stiff, which means that it contributes some to the overall paddling efficiency. I have to say though, that I very much enjoy the pad my wife made for me, especially on longer trips.

So far there have been no problems with the finish, or any of the fixtures, but I did have to check with the builder about something I thought could lead to trouble. The front hatch and to a lesser degree, the rear hatch are sealing so well that pressure builds in the compartments. Up until the weather got hotter it wasn't enough to get concerned with, but recently it got to the point where I was worrying about it. They told me to bring the boat by and they'd fix it, or I could just drill a tiny hole in the bulkheads. I drilled a very tiny hole in the forward and rear bulkheads, but I left the one behind the seat alone, because the day compartment seems to be fine. As of this writing, I haven't had the boat out in the sun to see if the problem is fixed, but I'm reasonably sure it is. Oh, by the way, I love the hatch covers and wouldn't trade them for any other type.

One of the unique features about NC kayaks is what they call the performance flange. It is created by the method with which they join the hull and deck. It really does do all the things they say it does (stiffens the perimeter of the hull, deflects spray, lifts the bow in waves, etc.), but I have found that it also helps enormously in handling the boat out of the water and keeping it stable on the trailer that I haul it on.

To sum it all up, the Expedition has satisfied my quest for a long distance cruising kayak, far beyond my expectations. If there is a better boat out there for that purpose...well I guess that's just a matter of opinion.

Review of my NC Kayak 19 Expedition purchased in early July 2008.
Me: Six feet tall, 195 pounds, 57 year old male with over ten years of sea kayaking experience including Atlantic & Pacific Oceans, Sea of Cortez, and several wilderness rivers. I own, now, four rigid kayaks and an Innova inflatable. Much of my paddling is on lakes in Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina. I was looking for fast, light, and fun boat that would last me for a decade and give me paddling joy. I have been looking for 2 years and finally settled on a NC Kayak from Tacoma, Washington, that was on sale. Best lesson from this purchase: Try out and inspect a boat before you buy it and have it shipped across country!

Best: The fit and finish is excellent. This is a very good looking boat! The lift toggles fit well in the hand, allow for an easy carry, and the boat feels very light. This boat definitely tracks and holds a course very well. I noticed my 19 did not drift off course when I stopped paddling, like my other boat does. While I have not yet had it out in very strong winds, I think it will do very well. I can also use a camera or binoculars very easily as the boat seems to stay put in wind and waves quite well. The deck lines are nicely placed and I can easily do a wet exit and reenter the boat using a paddle float entry. The paddle float attachment straps are excellent. Greg at NC Kayaks is very nice and helpful, and I was pleased with the ordering process.

Good: The day hatch is very nice. I was pleased to be able to access it while seated in the cockpit. None of my other boats have this feature, so I have always had to use a deck bag. The speed of this boat is only good, so far. I could easily maintain a 4.2 MPH pace on my first paddle, but this boat doesn’t feel much faster than my well used Dagger Cortez. I had really hoped to notice a significant speed advantage, but it hasn’t turned out that way so far. (Now: With more paddles now under my belt, it does seem to be feeling somewhat faster). The boat is definitely stable and holds a lean very well. You can adjust the foot pegs on the fly, which is nice. The flange around the cockpit is deep and well designed, making spray-skirt attachment very secure.

Not as good: I was surprised not to be able to get into the cockpit butt first. For such a large boat, which I think would attract larger paddlers than I, this would probably have kept me from buying the boat if I had had the chance to try it out first. I have a slightly injured shoulder which is put in a strain when I enter and exit the boat. This boat is also not near as maneuverable as my other boats. It takes a long time to turn, especially when moving slowly. Hopefully, I will be able to change my paddling style to correct this problem (Now: I have been able to learn to turn it a little faster). A turn at higher speed requires lots of lean, and even then takes quite a while. I have been used to very agile boats, so this is big change. Over the last five paddles I have figured out to turn this boat, but I have had to modify my strokes considerably. The hatch covers appeared to be very good, but I did find some water in the rear hatch when I finished my first paddle. Now, it seems that these hatches all leak much more than they should. Given that I like to paddle year round in all types of weather, I am nervous about taking on water in the hatches. Greg at NC Kayaks suggests that you close the hatches with the handles to the side of the boat. I did try this, with no success. I have had gear mildew in the closed hatches of this boat that I have never had a problem with before. This boat does not have a rudder, which doesn’t particularly bother me except that I like to use an Action Pacific sail and I doubt if I will be able to handle this boat with a sail on it. The seat looks OK, but one leg started feeling tight during my first paddle and, because of the small cockpit opening, I had a hard time dealing with it on the water. Greg at NC Kayaks suggests that I move my foot pegs closer to me to relieve this. I have fooled with it in many ways and added a thin pad to the seat, but still think this is a problem after five or six outings. This is disturbing since I have never had a problem like this in the many boats I have owned or rented. The seat is extremely well fixed to the boat and I fear trying to make any adjustments. I have finally, after spending $85 on pads, worked out a system to make the seat almost comfortable. With as many comfortable kayaks out there, it seems inexcusable that such an expensive boat is so poorly fitted out! Almost every kayak I have looked at since has some method for adjusting the sitting position.

Pretty Bad - my boat now has a three inch crack on the right side of the boat behind the foot peg slide, which I discovered after my first paddle. This crack looks deeper than the gel-coat, which makes me worry about the future of this boat. The folks at NC kayaks are communicating with me on this matter, but I don’t relish having to fool with this, especially across the country. Greg has now said that this looks like a compression fracture - I agree - and may have been done during a tie down to a trailer or rack. While it is always possible that I damaged the boat unknowingly during the one transport before I discovered the crack, I doubt this to be the case as I have handled boats of all types for many years – as well as other types of cargo - without any significant damage resulting. This adds further, as you can imagine, to my frustration with this boat.

So, I am a big boy and know how I can sometimes get excited about a "deal" and end up not as satisfied as I would like. I cannot think of any item of sports equipment - bicycles, skis, skates, etc. - that I have been more disappointed with. However, I will continue to try to maximize my use of this boat, while keeping a eye open for the boat I feel I deserve.

Great kayak 19+feet long, sleek and fast. Can carry lots. I am 6-2 over 250.Went on five trips this summer it tracts very well. I did not order the rudder, it does not need it. It is not a bulky kayak, not tippy. Great all around great kayak I will be keeping this for a while. I give a 9+. I love it!!

This is my second new NC Kayak. The NC19 Expedition is just that, my long duration extended outing kayak. It is sleek just like the NC17, but with more load capacity and slightly more beam. It is a larger volume kayak, with a good responsive feel. It tracks well and is very effecient in the water, critical on long trips. I understand it is becomming a favorite of many top caliber racers, also due to its effeciency. I couldn't be more pleased with my purchases.