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Well made but limited usefulness unless your kayak or canoe is well over 16 feet. Mounted on a Ford Ranger supercab, my 14'-6" kayak is sitting in the saddles about a foot from each end. Therefore, the saddles don't fit right. Since the Dry Dock sways a little in the hitch even with the straps, the kayaks and the front rack itself move around even though it was snug tight. On a nine hundred mile trip the front rack on the cab moved forward about 4 inches and one of the boats repeatedly rotated in the saddles nearly 90 degrees. Maybe ok for a long canoe but I'm still searching for a good solution for my pickup.

I've sampled a few boats, longer, shorter, lighter, heavier than the Carolina before I bought mine and I believe it represents the best compromises of any boats in its class. If most people would realistically consider how they will actually use their kayak as compared to how they fantasize using it, there would be even more Carolinas on the water. The stability is good for newer paddlers and the compromise between tracking and maneuverability is spot on for how it will likely be used. Mine will see most of its time spent on meanandering rivers and creeks on the Chesapeake. The hatches are small but it's not much of an inconvenience. There have been complaints about bungies popping out, but mine have nuts and bolts holding them in place. It's entirely comfortable for a day long paddle. Unless you plan on spending piles of money on a kayak, even with the price increase, go buy one right this minute. Oh, yes, it is also a real nice looking kayak.