Jocassee

Just bought my first Jocassee. It is very stable but there is not enough storage for a full day of river paddling. Need more storage for coolers and gear. 84 lb actual weight was not an issue. Paddling forward with reasonable speed was quite easy, but turning was a little tough. Overall, still a great tandem kayak. Just needs more storage.

I recently purchased this kayak based on others review and after having taken a number of day trips(longest being 17 miles)I can say its a great 2 person beginners kayak. The rudder is a must but it tracks nice, does ok for speed (gps 3.5 easy 4.0 pushing and 5.3 wide open)Super stable and forgiving. Without skirt you tend to put lots of water into kayak (open cockpit design) but that's what sponges are for.

Whoever says that paddling this will wipe you out after an hour would have trouble putting the same effort into any kayak for an hour. I am able to go much faster than a canoe for the effort. Although not as sleek or fast as more expensive touring tandems, it is far better for a family! The wide and long cockpit allows for a couple and a child (or two if they are small).

I bought my Mighty Joe at a swap meet for 500.00, bought the rudder kit, installed it, and it was ready to go. Stable even with a landlubber wife, a dog and a 3 year-old on board, and I can paddle it quickly without their help. Sure, it is heavy, but that guarantees you a workout whenever you put it in the water. Besides, us couch potatoes need an excuse to break a sweat. I wish it was a little longer, but beyond that I am very happy with it. The only complaint I have is that it has been discontinued in favor of the Aurora, which is basically the same boat, with some minor alterations. This boat is fine on the coast, it can handle waves up to 5 feet, but expect to use your bailer. A self-bailer would help this rig, and it is available from Harmony if one needs it. This is a Cruiser, not a racer, so don't buy it for surfing or river navigating. If you have family and want to take them with you or just go solo, this is the Kayak for you!

I recently rented a Jocassee for a weekend camping trip and I now plan to buy one within the next couple of weeks. Granted, I could run circles around this boat in my Eclipse, but for what it is designed for it is an all round excellent boat! Stable? We had no trouble with that even given my three year old basically playing around in her kiddy seat and occasionally standing up. Fast? It beats the heck out of any canoe I have ever paddled. Rudder? Definitely! The main thing that mystifies me is some of the other reviews which talked about being "dog tired" after an hour. My wife and I paddled this boat 4 hours out and four hours back, full of gear, and with a child. It was certainly no worse than a canoe as far as exertion, and it was definitely much faster. Maybe the "dog tired" people were expecting something like a Nimbus Telkwa. Or maybe they just need to work out a little bit! A great boat for two people, a little kid and their gear!

I have had my Jo for 4 days. As you can see I rate it a 7. Why would you buy a yak you are only rating a 7 ?? First, I wanted a sleek sea kayak, and I wanted to go solo, for days at a time. HOWEVER, my 6 and 8 year old had other ideas. So maybe one day !! But for now I have a Jocassee, even have trouble pronoucing it sometime. But it has good storage for a boat with no hatches. The stability is just great, and I mean that. You must be careful when you ask someone that paddles a ya about stability, most of them have a weird idea of the word STABILITY. Some of them think a log is stable. The Jo holds a good line ( I do have a rudder, the Jo does need one) I can let my son paddle (he is just learning) and have no problem keeping the boat headed where I want to go. It is big, and it is heavy. But those, alone with the hull shape, are what make it so stable. Loading is more of a problem than unloading. I drive a full size van so the height ads to the problem. But by using a Paddle Boy cart I get it done. Loaded with three of us the ya handles well, paddles surprising fast, and is very quit. It really works best with just two if us and gear. To paddle solo you extend the rudder pegs out, slide the front seat back, load up, and take off. This yak does solo very good for a tantem boat. Very good first boat.

I've owned mine for six years and it's not the only boat in the garage. Yes, it's big, it's heavy, but it's so versatile. As my first boat, I quickly developed a paddleing rhythm which allows me to get a five mile run out of a two hour window which includes travel time,loading and unloading at each end. I can cover 4 miles alone in an hour and often solo a ten mile when I can arrange a pickup at the other end. The Jo will carry it all and makes a great boat to spend the setting sun hours on a calm lake with the wife. My dauthers learned to paddle in it. Each having solo boats will take the Jo along when they have company.

After using the Jo for more extensive Florida flats fishing, I've developed a much deeper appreciation for it. This boat is quiet and is easy to paddle for extended trips (5-6 miles), contrary to a previous post. I also have no problem handling this big yak, even in moderate winds. I do recommend adding a rudder when paddling tandem with another paddler. With the rudder, you can set up a very controlled drift with a wind or current without touching the paddle for - HOURS!! Another benefit is that perspns who are less flexible can get in & out of it easily.

Strictly a family recreation tandem kayak(also has small adjustable/sliding child seat in middle). Heavy, weighs about 85#, 7 ft+ cockpit/32 in.wide. Doesn't handle very well in the wind as you might expect-definitely needs a rudder. I used it a lot to fly fishing Florida canals and intercoastal esturaries.

Initial stability is great/seats are very comfortable. Good for a small family (3)of beginners. Two adults are worn out after about an hour or two of touring in this baby. My rating is based more on the fact that I'm looking more towards touring and less recreational kayaking. This is more like the "Tank" of recreational tandem kayaking.

Great for what it is designed to do. Boat is stable, fast, tracks well, lots of storage, plenty of room for two. Great for lakes or ocean - stay off the rivers. You'll break your paddles trying to turn it in even class ll rapids.

Great for Recreation and Sport.