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Name: Civengine

Most Recent Reviews

The boat weathercocks without a rudder. That is the most important thing to know.

The boat is enormous. I am 5' 10" and 220 now. It is easy to enter and exit for me. My size 10s have no problem in the braces or stretched out. There is enough room in this kayak for an unsupported journey of at least 5 days in comfort. I could do 10+ days if I didn't have to carry water. It has been all over the everglades and east coast of Florida over the last 5 years.

I got mine as a seconds. Couldn't find the blemish. Only problem was it didn't have a rudder. In stiff winds (15+ mph) it definitely westhercocks. I hated fighting that boat during bad weather. Droping a leg didn't help at all. Nor did leaning. Good news is I got a rudder and solved that problem.

Initial and secondary stability are rock solid. I have been hit by quartering waves over my head and never felt in danger due to the boat.

Not flashy, heavy, but it will haul your whole garage for many miles.

I've been paddling this boat for three months. I'm 5'10" and 200 lbs. The boat floats well and has great initial stability. Secondary stability is OK. It handles flat water and small rapids (class 1-2) well. It doesn't like tracking straight, but with a little practice, you can shift your hips while you paddle to keep it straight. It is a sea-cow in windy conditions. I wouldn't use it on a large lake.

Today, I paddled about 4.5 miles on the Moreau River (really a creek) near Jefferson City and averaged about 3 miles per hour while paddling according to my GPS. I could keep a pace of 3.5 mph for at least 20 minutes at a time in an easy rhythm. I sprinted at a "streaking fast" 4.5 mph but could only keep it up for about 1 minute. It is noisy when it plows through the water.

My kids (10 and 7) could paddle this easily around my dad's small pond. It's a little wide for kids though.
Strengths: stable, cheap, fast for a rec kayak.
Weaknesses: No deck rigging, no bulkheads and hatches, cheap backrest.