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The Yukon X...phenomenal boat. A little about my kayaking experience. I have owned at least 50 boats ranging from canoes to recreational kayaks, sit-on-tops, to whitewater kayaks, sea kayaks and all the rest. I have been paddling for many many years. I have run everything from 40 foot waterfalls and harrowing class 5 to multi-hundred mile source to sea journeys and as well as some ocean kayaking. As a whitewater paddler that has transitioned to any-water paddling, I am always buying, testing, and selling kayaks. I currently own 4 yukon expeditions and am completely sold on them...for a few reasons.

I frequently take week long trips on rivers that often start in mountainous regions and end in flat areas. The need for a boat that can handle everything while loaded down from small, quick, tight rivers and creeks to raging class 4 wave trains and then the flats of lowland rivers has left me with absolutely no alternative than the Yukon Expedition. The plastic is widely regarded as the best in the business. Durability is unbelievable. Basically, this is a 14.5' whitewater kayak with a rudder.

Pros:
Maneuverability
The Yukon is really unmatched in maneuverability for 14.5' touring offerings. This is a major concern for my trips as the beginnings of rivers would be a nightmarish deathtrap (broach-fest) for most touring boats. With the rudder down, it will hold a great track. Rudder up, and you are in a long whitewater boat that looks to pearl off at any chance.

Durability
This boat is as indestructible as a plastic kayak can be. Of course any boat will not last forever, but these really are built like tanks. Rarely do I see a Yukon hull in bad oil-canning or warped shape. The stresses from low volume loaded runs will forever alter most plastic boats for the worse. My yukons do not have this problem.

Gear capacity
As my trips are mostly or entirely unsupported and in remote areas, I need places to put things. For a 14.5 the volume of capacity is great. at 350lbs, the weight capacity is fine. The hatch openings are big enough to get larger items in as well. I add some additional outfitting to the decks to offer more tie down points as well. The under deck net makes a great place for a map case and my solar panel when not in use. Lots of room for everything I need. Always, a little more room is needed...like a backpack. The problem is, more room turns into more stuff. The capacity is more than ample for week long trips.

Comfort
It is akin to a bathtub fit...spacious and comfy. The deck is high enough to move the legs about without the straight leg of death syndrome found in some lower deck boats. I actually will put comfort as a con as well and let me explain. The stock seat is not great at all. Prijon is function over comfort. To fix this, I take out the stock prijon backband as it is NOT comfy. I build a custom 1/8" x 1" aluminum bar and minicell high-back seat formed to my back. This seat back fits into the receivers for the prijon backrest. In the seat pan, I have a wilderness phase 3 pad with the leg-lifters for the most comfy sit you will have in a performance boat. I can go all day with this set up.

Speed
Well, it is fast enough to not lose sanity on a large featureless body of water. It will keep up with longer, faster boats as long as they are not actually paddling as hard as you are. The whole issue of speed is VERY subjective in kayaking. I gps test all my boats in this regard. The all-day (8 to 10 hours) cruise speed I can paddle in this boat is around 3.5 mph not factoring current or wind. While the yukon is not a poke boat, this is not a fast boat on flat water. The max speed will be hit fairly quickly. There is a big diminishing return on the effort you put in to the speed you get out after about 4 mph. But that is not the intended purpose. It is a net-speed boat for rivers. Where this boat excels is in moving current. In current, the maneuverability of the boat affords down-river speed. Very little time will be needed in slowing for set-ups, unbroaching yourself, etc...

Stability
This boat offers the most defined and relaxed primary stability of any performance tourer that you will find. The width and the hull shape create this. The secondary is rock solid as well. Rolling is easy as the boat basically falls into the upright after about 2/3 roll stroke. I have literally napped in this boat while deploying my kayak sail. It is a rock star in current as well. Again, this is where the boat excels. The looseness of the hull which one might cuss without a rudder becomes your best friend in heavy current. Without a keel, you are free from the normal anguish and current-slavery of normal 14.5' touring boats.

Now the Cons:
Speed
If you intend to use this boat on flat water, just be aware that the width and design limit the speed somewhat. It is not the fastest boat on the water.

Comfort
The stock seat and backband are not the best for all day use. Some simple, easy modification makes this boat comfortable.

Flat water tracking
There are those who wish to say that super attentive paddling will alleviate the lack of tracking. Bottom line: you will always be fighting this boat to track straight without the rudder. Drop the rudder and you are going to enjoy this boat much better

Wet ride
Part of the design of this boat for whitewater performance causes the boat to plunge through the wave or rapid rather than lift over it. A good skirt will be needed to stay dry in waves or rapids. Somedays in the summer, we will paddle sans skirt...we just keep our sponges handy. A deck bag will deflect the water rushing over the deck and help keep you dry. Not that one should be alarmed at the prospect of getting wet while kayaking, but there will be some water washing into your chest in big features.

I would give this boat a 10 because of the unmatched performance abilities that are offered in this platform. However, since there is no perfect boat, a 9 it is.

Here is a link to a series of videos from a trip my group took down the length of the Greenbrier River in WV...I was paddling my mango yukon and there is a green one as well. enjoy and go get a YUKON!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgzTITJZNrw