First let me say this review is based only on my opinion of seeing the boat and not actually paddling it, although I wish I had gotten to take it for a paddle.
The Rawson Tangent 16.10 is described as a "Recreational Kayak with a contemporary high performance hull", and in my opinion that's just what it is, a big, stable, play boat for the surf. At just over 16' long and 27" wide with a cockpit measuring 20" X 39" it's the bigger of their two HV boats suitable for larger paddlers like myself. With it's forward cockpit and raised stern I could just imagine paddling through waves and the quick turning abilities of this kayak which is just what it was designed for. The boat came with both skeg and rudder as well as two rear hatches. This kayak was a bit awkward when first picked up due to balance issues, but if you carry it the way he shows you it isn't hard to manage at all.
I found this kayak on Ebay and Craigslist listed as follows:
lightly used. fiberglass composite weighs less than 40lbs. carbon/kevlar rudder. retractable lp skeg. roomy cockpit. rear bulkhead. two rear hatches. adjustable foot braces. great boat /great price.
In my telephone conversation with Mr Rawson it was my understanding that the boat was taken to Florida for a photo shoot for the Rawson Boat Inc. website, and that was the extent of it's use. However when Mr. Rawson delivered the kayak to my home I found several areas of spider cracking in the hull including some very soft areas to the stern in the area below below the smaller hatch cover.
All in all the kayak was much more used then I was led to believe so for that reason I refused to accept the kayak and Mr. Rawson was kind enough to refund my payment, and that is the reason I never paddled the boat.
I think the makeup of the kayak may be a bit thin causing a loss in the strength of the boat itself, a trade off I believe to get the weight at under 40 lbs. for such a big kayak. I think I would prefer a stronger boat that was a few pounds heavier over the boat I looked at. Also I think if I were to have one of these made for me I would want a front bulkhead and storage hatch as well as perimeter deck lines. I think both would be added safety features that would be a good addition to the kayak. On the other hand the base kayak (less rudder and/or skeg) is priced in the mid teens which is about half of most other fiberglass kayaks, but it's a case of you get what you pay for.
I really like the design idea of this boat and so for that I'm giving Rawson Boat a 9 but for build quality I'd have to say only a 7 at best.
