Cape Horn 170

I've had my glass Cape Horn 170 for 3 yrs now. It's wonderful. Nice size, good storage and it'll move out when you want it to. I did an 8-minute mile into heavy winds & medium whitecaps on a Columbia River pool last year. On a whim, for fun - just to see it fly. I'm 6', 215, 64 yrs old. Only problem is sometimes getting my size 13's in it. I'm not getting any more flexible. Once in though, I wear that boat - an extension of me.

We've done 10-12 mile runs on the Columbia, taken it to Cascade lakes, local rivers and had it in the Harrow Strait off San Juan Island with orcas (that is fun - highly recommended!). Our typical outing is around 6-7 miles. For my use, it's a wonderful boat. Admittedly, it's the only kayak I've owned. I've canoed for decades in Minn - BWCA & whitewater, never thought I could get into kayaking. Oregon isn't really canoe country, but kayaks are great here. It's amazing how wind doesn't affect you as it would in a canoe.

My wife has a sweet little 15' Seda Ikkuma. It's very agile and maneuverable, can take any nasty water - it's perfect for her, but it's tough to paddle alongside her long. My boat wants to GO. So do I, I guess, so I'm off, get ahead, wait, go check something out, get behind, zoom back to check back in with her a bit - and then go off again. I love its response - dig in and you're gone. Once moving, you don't want to stop. Fresh air in your face and seeing spray go by left and right is . . . well, it's captivating.

My biggest regret is not getting this boat sooner when I was younger. I'd love to do some longer camping trips - it'd be perfect for that use - but health issues are starting to control. Still, I'm tempted. I'm seriously thinking about taking on the Columbia in 200-mile pieces. This is the boat to do it.

This thing just plain makes getting out fun!

Reviewer Profile: 'glass Cape Horn w/rudder, 5'9, 180, 20 yrs paddling.
The Cape Horn is an impressive boat. Well build, good fit and finish. It is the perfect expedition kayak by my standard - an ideal mix for long trips. I own a "faster" kayak (s-18 Falcon) which is great for zipping around on a training paddle, but if I am going to spend hours and cover miles I much prefer the slightly shorter and slightly more stable Horn. It handles rough water really well with it's high bow and sharp entry, is stable enough that you aren't constantly vigilant and has plenty of room for packing.

Now, here is the interesting part. Accepting that the Horn is a great tourer the obvious question (as asked by several reviewers) is one of speed. Well, on my quick-paddle exercise loop the speedy Falcon is consistently only about 1:00 faster than the Horn over five miles/one hour. Consider it. The Wilderness Systems is Just 1/60th slower than the performance Falcon but the Cape Horn 17 is so much more flippin' user friendly!

Great all around boat, and pretty sexy.

I have owned a WS Cape Horn 170 for 4 years now and still love it just as much as the day I bought it. It truly is a fast, stable, and comfortable boat. I am 235lbs, 6 foot - this is a great kayak for bigger paddlers with lots of room. Also lots of storage space for overnight trips. Seat is comfortable, however I continuously have problems with keeping the back seat in the higher position. It is unfortunate that WS has stopped production of this line. If you are looking to buy a used one, I highly recommend it.

I am 5'10" 280lbs, so I am a big guy in a slender boat. The first trip in the poly Cape Horn 17 was on the Chipola river in Florida. I capsized within 20 seconds of leaving the shore. I exited the cockpit without any difficulty(actually, the boat threw my inexperienced butt out): Pumped out the boat and was just fine the rest of the 5 hour trip.

The second trip was in Indian Pass on Appalachicola Bay in Florida. I got out into the middle of the pass and slowly capsized. A jelly fish came along and gave me a painfull hello as I was being towed back by a friend. After pumping out the boat I did fine on the next crossing attempt. I concur with the other reviewers; the Cape Horn 17 is fast, tracks great, and yes, the openings for the deck lines do leak a bit, but not more that a cup of water got in for hours of operation. I hit some rocks on the shoreline going really fast with only a few small dings in the bow to show for it.

The boat is a bit heavy, but with a hull roller on my Aveo, I can easily cartop the boat myself. I am sure once I get the weight off the secondary stability of the Cape Horn will not be a problem for me. I can be dry and slow in a rec boat or fast and wet, I choose fast and wet. Buy the boat; you will be the fastest boat on the water.

I got a one year old blue plastic Cape Horn 170 for a pretty decent deal after renting a similar one previously.

First off, to throw a few stones at other reviewers: Fiberglass boats are NOT fragile, are easily fixed, and don't scratch near as easy as plastic. Just don't go rock bashing with one. And, "lean turning" is actually a legitimate and effective technique for making a long touring kayak turn quicker without use of rudder. Not just to 'look cool', though I think some people do use it to show off their skill.

Back to the boat: It has pretty decent speed, I second the 6-7 km/h claim with only cruising effort. It is pretty damn stable, primary and secondary stability. Phase 3 seat IS good. But, to me, not really any comfier than the previous generation seat. Only believe the advertising if it fits YOUR ass/back.

Tracking-It tracks fine in flat water, but in rough water, cross winds and following/quartering seas, the tracking really shines. I only used rudder once. The boat lost 2 points for what I believe are quality issues.

First and foremost is it’s as watertight as I’d like-water seeps a bit through hatches and fasteners. Worse yet, the hole that the perimeter rescue line goes through in the very nose of the boat can leak water in- i was very unimpressed when I saw water run out of there when I turned the boat upside down after couple hours in rough water. Since then I sealed it. Easy enough a fix, but I believe it should have been taken care of at the factory.

Second, I don’t like how you have to turn the strap clips to get hatches off, means you can’t have the bolts tight enough for max water tightness.

All n all, it’s a great entry level touring kayak that can do it all.

I am in my third year of kayaking and I have tried out many kayaks,the cape horn 17 is by far the best kayak that i have used. I am 256 lbs. and 6ft., the fit is great I have installed the smart track system and the 20 mile trips I take are a real blast. I also believe that the poly boat is the best buy because the durability for a new kayaker. I hope that the do not stop production so that when this one wears out I can buy a new one.

I'm 5'10" 240 lbs. I bought 2002 Cape Horn 17 Roto. Aqua blue. This is my first kayak. I recently took a kayak fundamental course on a lake active with powerboat wakes, and it seemed to handle fine, even with wakes rolling port and starboard. It really built my confidence in the boat and the sport. I kept up with all of the glass boats. I just didn't get that on edge thing too well. Maybe i need to reduce my gut a bit and stretch my stomach muscles to get it. But like I said, I'm a beginner.

After reading many reviews on this (very good) web site, I thought it was time to throw my two cents in.

I bought a Cape Horn 17 earlier this year (2002) as my third kayak (after a Necky Santa Cruze and a Necky Eskia) in less than a year after taking up this ridiculously addicting sport. I thought very long and hard about a glass boat, but I AM NOT the candidate for anything that fragile. I am 5'11", 165 pounds, athletic and somewhat reckless (also occassional mountain biker). So...I wanted plastic (beach it anywhere the urge hits me, drag it across rocks, plow over rocks, into rocks, under rocks, and literally toss it on the roof of the Jeep). I wanted speed (7.1 m.p.h. when I "get on it") and I wanted that FANTASTIC seat (the most important thing is its adjustment range--when the back hurts, just change the lumbar support).

The primary is very, very good (I fly fish from it). The secondary--well, who cares? I can't seem to understand the importance of this "lean turn" stuff, unless it's like pulling wheelies on a bike--you do it to look cool--nothing wrong with that. I've done plenty of lean turns (and, nope, the secondary on the Cape Horn 17 isn't as dependable as even my Necky Eskia, as I found out when I tested its limit, going butt-over-teapot so hard I was actually thrown out of the cockpit one night). I spin the puppy around with the rudder (EGAD! He uses a RUDDER! Yes, I am the "anti-poser") just as tight, and the Cape Horn 17's rudder surface area is very well matched to the boat and offers no drag--I prefer to use it all the time so I can concentrate on delivering maximum power from a smooth stroke (to get the speed-I-need).

For athletic paddlers,the good primary is important. Strong strokers will wind up bobbing between opposite secondary stability points like a pendulum on something tippier, like a Necky Looksha IV, like I did.

The keel is cool. It really adds to the arrow-like tracking and lets you give the tie down straps a good tug when you travel, without worrying about oil canning the hull.

The hatches could have larger openings, and the rear leaks a little bit in the big water (wouldn't know about rolling--I think rolls are for having with coffee--the only time I've tipped is when I've done it to myself).

So, if you want to go anywhere (3-4 foot waves/wakes in the Hudson River--no problem), beach the boat on barnacles (and actually think a scratched up hull is a sign of having fun), like to fish, like to, and have the strength to be, the fastest thing out there (Canadian Geese have to take flight, hard, to get away from me) and appreciate a cup holder in a seat that is an exact fit for a Foster's "oil can," BUY THIS BOAT.

The better half (5'2", 125 lbs.) has the Cape Horn 14, and we are so perfectly matched (do the math--length, power to weight ratio, etc.), I'd recommend the same combo to any other sporty couples.

By the way, she IS beautiful (mine's yellow), scratches and all :-)

Demo'ed the Cape Horn 17 Pro (Glass) along with the Perception Eclipse, Looksha Tachea (sp) and a Serenity - Gale Force winds on a small lake - The Cape Horn was the only boat I could turn easily in that wind without using the rudder - The following weekend I demo'ed the Cape Horn 17 in plastic and found the plastic version which is several pounds heavier to handle very much like the Pro with a much smaller price tag. The cockpit is a bit smaller but even at 6'1" 260 lbs I am quite comfortable however I am not sure how easy it will be to extract myself in an emergency escape situation. Unlike my composite boat I will have no qualms about running this one right up on the beach or have any fear of rock gardens. The day hatch for my keys and compass mount are a definite plus but the real selling point outside of the boats ability to track and turn well is the Phase 3 Seat - only seat that I am aware of that will conform to my exact seat back height requirements - did I mention that I bought it!

After looking for a kayak that tracks well and that fits my big feet (size 13) and getting advice on another forum; after test paddles of the Cape Horn 17 and Perception Eclipse in Annapolis; and after reading many of your reviews as well as Sea Kayaker Mag's (Aug. issue), plus visits to 5 kayak stores and talks with sales people, I bought the Cape Horn 17. At the same time, my girlfriend got the Cape Horn 14. (Both are plastic.) Our primary interest was to get boats that tracked well and were not too heavy and that could carry camping gear for multiday trips.

This past w/e we played around two afternoons on Potomac, several hours on the water each time. Let me add that we are "watersporters" (sailing, windsurfing, canoeing and recreational kayaking), but so far have little experience with sea/touring kayaks. In any event, we loved our outings with these 2 Cape Horns. My g/f should add her on review of the 14. She certainly kept up with me w/o any problems. On the 17: it tracks beautifully, one of my first criteria. I found the speed amazing comparing it to my recreational kayak. One of the nice and exceptional features of the Cape Horn is that it has a "keel" (a very shallow one over the length of the boat). And it has only modest rocker. I have not seen other kayaks that have a "keel". I has a long waterline as well (no upswept stern, more like a built-in skeg). These features accounts for its great tracking. Also, the keel adds to the rigidity of the hull (which can be an issue with a plastic boat). I used the rudder just to try it out although I did not really need it and noticed that in windy conditions it does help. Generally, however, you don't need to use it.

The boat felt stable on the water (we are still learning how to lean it properly). We helped a guy who had capsized his wooden sailboat, bail out his boat which had filled up completely (no floatation) and was rolling over every time he tried to right it, by stabilizing him by coming alongside with our kayaks on either side.)

At 62lbs/28.1kg, the Cape Horn 17 is not a super light boat, but for the length it is very good. The glass model is only 3lbs lighter (and $1000 or so more expensive). This is just my first report on this boat. As I gain more experience, I will write more. Anyway, these are the first impressions from a happy owner of a new Cape Horn 17. I would love to hear from others who have this boat too. (I rate it 9 because I don't know enough about the boat yet (in different weather for example, to rate it a 10.)