45
Weight (lb)
discontinued

This Product Has Been Discontinued

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Khatsalano Description

The Khatsalano is a kayak brought to you by Feathercraft Products. Read Khatsalano reviews or submit your own review to share with the paddling community. Check out a few other kayak recommendations below or explore all kayaks to find the perfect one for you!

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Khatsalano Reviews

Read reviews for the Khatsalano by Feathercraft Products as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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4

Just a few thoughts on the…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 6/12/2013
Just a few thoughts on the Khatsalano, including addressing some of the comments mentioned by other reviewers:

Because it can be packed up, the Khatsalano has allowed me to paddle in areas that few others have accessed - Aleutian Islands and remote areas of the north Pacific coast.

The boat has been described as being tippy. I weigh about 175, generally pack for longer trips, and never noticed this. However, if I take the boat out empty on flat water, it feels like it will move suddenly from one chine to the other. This is due to the hard chines and and insufficient weight in the boat. Add a little extra weight and the tippiness disappears.

Rolling up is easy in this boat. Ironically, rolling down can be difficult. Unlike other boats that I've used, this boat can get stuck upside down in the middle of a roll if you don't enter the water with enough umph. This can necessitate rolling back up on the same side you went in on.

The boat comes with a sea sock. I live in Alaska and kayaking often makes for a cold water experience. The sea sock is an amazing insulator. The Khatsalano is far warmer than any composite boat. This can be a real advantage after a long day.

The design of the boat and quality of construction are second to none. Feathercraft asks for a lot of money, but they do not cut any corners on quality of materials or manufacture. The boat is a pleasure to paddle in rough conditions. It has just the tiniest bit of flex that adsorbs the chaotic water and smooths out the bumps.

I find the Khatsalano to be as fast as a hard shell boat. It takes about an hour to assemble, and is more difficult to set up than other Feathercraft kayaks.

All in all, a very fun boat.

4

I have owned my Khatsalano…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 9/7/2011
I have owned my Khatsalano for many years now and I do love it. The skin boat lets you feel every riffle and eddy in the water in a way no hard shelled boat can. It has poor initial stability, but the flex in the frame means that it fits itself to the waves and is more forgiving than a glass boat. It is also tough enough to land on or be dragged over rocks.

But there are drawbacks, too. I am a small man but I am strong and in good condition; nevertheless, I have a devil of a time keeping pace with paddlers in hard shell boats who are less fit and strong than I am. Another issue is the limited storage capacity. The Khats looks small even from the outside, and the inside is crammed with ribs and tubes. Very hard to pack gear and food for a week. On one extended trip, I was cadging food from fellow paddlers. And like other reviewers, I take about an hour to assemble it, even with all the complex directions right in front of me. So now I have it hanging assembled in the garage above my car.

Many happy hours and days spent in this boat, but I am looking for a hard shell boat for my next extended trip.

4

Continued followup... I used the Khats for a symposium and trip June…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 7/5/2007
Continued followup...
I used the Khats for a symposium and trip June 14-20. I liked the way it handled in the really rough conditions, (6-9) so I'm upping its rating to a 7. The weathercocking can be advantageous if your heading into the wind is desired. It's a good roller, and is holding up well to abusive conditions.
3

Following up. Last season I…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 2/12/2007
Following up. Last season I paddled the SOF greenland style kayak that I built. I only used the Khatsolano a handfull of times. I still consider myself a beginner paddler (FYI I can hand roll at will and paddle 20 miles at a shot quite frequently). After a season of paddling the SOF and using the Khats for a trip last fall, I lower the overall rating on the Khats to a 6. Why? It is fairly unweildy in windy conditions. It wants to point directly into the wind and one wastes a lot of energy if you try to fight it. Until I ran the SOF in windy conditions I did not realize how difficult the Khats behaved in the wind and the skeg only makes it slightly better, thus I'm still just a beginner. I will keep the Khats I still loved it on the trip.
4

This is a followup now that I…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 9/26/2005
This is a followup now that I have driven the Khats all season.

The Khats trips nice, I can easily get my outfit distributed properly to keep the boat trim. It is easy to pack everything needed for 3-5 days below deck. I use the standard height rib #4 when expeditioning and also inflate the sponsons slightly. Fully loaded in 4-6 footers, with strong winds, the Khats handled terrific.

It is not the fastest boat on the water. I can find a comfortable pace with the Greenland paddle that is a good touring speed though. I'm not racing.

The skeg is effective in windy conditions to minimize battling the weather cocking. I found a rock (8-10lbs) that when I place directly in/under the rear hatch the boat trims out nice for windy conditions.

The Khats is a good roller. I have added/perfected several Greenland style rolls this season. I have a brooks tuilik that fits the oversized cockpit. I would prefer the cockpit opening was smaller, part of the cockpit on the Khats would be foredeck on a qajaq. It also takes on a lot of water during roll practice when using a sprayskirt. I found that was the case for most boats at Greenland TC so I didn't feel too bad. The rolling rib could be a little shorter, but it is noticeably easier to roll with it than the standard height rib 4.

5

Got the 2005 year model…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 5/24/2005
Got the 2005 year model Khatsalano in February. Compared to the Kahuna putting it together seemed longish, but since I've only done it once, it doesn't count. My 5th kayak I wanted a boat that emulated greenland style paddling, and I've only paddled it with a GP. I bought direct from factory along with the FC brand GP. It is all black, and of note in the all black version the deck fabric is the same as the hull fabric. Full compliment of float bags, comes with two, purchased two additional as options. I also optioned the "rolling rib" that allows easier layback on reardeck. It has sponsons that are optional to inflate depending on the chine shape desired. I inflated them on initial paddle ventures, but now I do not.

Words like pri/sec stability used to elude me in my paddling. I can now envision an unorchestrated capsize, though I haven’t experienced one yet. The boat is tippy at rest, in motion its pri is good. Sec stability is now becoming part of my vocab. And after several hours of roll sessions, I have discovered the flat deck adds a unique tertiary stability phenomenon that was a little disquieting at first if I was searching for the surface on the side that was cocked toward the bottom. I sometimes have to reach up and pull the yak completely upside down, it will float indefinitely in the tertiary position.

The boat initially seemed very snug, I'm 185lb 6', but after 3 months and becoming accustomed to its fit, I wish it was a little tighter. I have to readjust my position after most roll maneuvers. I will pull the inflatable hip pads from my Kahuna and see if I can make the fit tighter.

The boat is a dream on the water, I'm 51 and not in hurry to get anywhere, but the speed is effortless to reach and maintain. I was surprised by the greenland paddle, I intuitively modified my stroke style and after a little research discovered that what felt natural to do with the G stick, is the methodology developed by the greenlanders. Rolling with a GP was the real surprise. Voila!

The boat weathercocks as do all my boats. I like how a GP allows management of that, and I also have the strap on skeg. I have not loaded the boat with gear as of this date. I do like kayak expedition/camping though as one of my favorite kayak pastimes. Looking forward to qajag tc 2005.

2

I have a regular Khats, not…

Submitted by: paddler230773 on 9/2/2004
I have a regular Khats, not the 'S' model. I am a very light paddler at 140 lbs. The Khats is definitely a performance kayak and more time consuming to put together than other Feathercraft. I don't necessarily disagree with anything anyone has written in review, but I do feel obligated to mention that the boat has a very bad habit of weathercocking, especially for lighter paddlers. It can be exhausting to paddle under some circumstances. Adding the skeg helps. Others in the Greenland Paddling community I have talked to report the same thing. Adding more weight in the rear helps the problem. It isn't as noticable when loaded.
5

I purchased my Khat in…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 5/20/2004
I purchased my Khat in September of 2001 just before leaving the US for undetermined time. When I first put it together I was overwhelmed with all the parts!! (after a few assemblies and disassemblies my time was down to 35min.) After paddling fiberglass kayaks I really liked the #44 weight of the kayak. First paddle was on the Oregon coast and after getting used to the chined hull was very impressed with the way it handled the choppy water almost like a flexing board, yet stiff enough that it did not slow down my forward motion. I have found the kayak to be as fast if not faster then my fiberglass kayaks which for me means kayaking all day at 3.5-4mph with not a lot of effort. In three years I have installed the rudder once just to see how it works? It's ok, but found that the kayak handles well with slight correction strokes even in strong crosswinds. Comfort is fantastic!, I am a lightweight at 165lbs but at 6'2" I have been cramped in some kayaks. The Khats seat is super! I travel and paddled Israel, Greek Islands, Europe, parts of the Sea of Cortez and the Gulf of Mexico with this kayak, it has been in and out of the backpack many times and stayed stored in the pack for a few months, I let it sit in the sun for an hour to let the skin soften out and back together. I found the backpack excellent(when you consider an 18Ft kayak inside)and with the hippads and straps not uncomfortable to use ( would not want to carry it to far). To sum it up! The best for the buck! Expensive but worth the money if you are a traveler.
5

Like everyone else, I love…

Submitted by: paddler230028 on 1/14/2003
Like everyone else, I love this boat (I have all together owned at one time or another 8 different sae and white water boats). The boat is a bear to assemble, (but I have only done it twice). I also have had some problems with rolling it, but I think this is only a matter of technique problems on my part, as I have always had a really unorthodox roll that I have gotten away with until now. The Khatsalano is a very quick boat, and is easily the most efficient boat I have ever paddled. BTW, I bought my then 11 year old son a Big Kahuna at the same time I got my Khatsalano, and his assembles in 1/2 the time. This is his first single kayak, and I can say that it also is very fast in his hands.
5

Absolutely an awesome…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 8/13/2002
Absolutely an awesome machine. I love the way the boat flows with and not against the movements of the water. Of all my toys, and by the way all my friends tell me "I've allready won the the toy game", this is my most treasured. I love the ocean and this boat makes me feel totally connected with it. I paddle out in the mornings to meet the local Dolphin run as often as I can on Padre Is. ,Texas. Imagine being able to feel them though the kayak skin against your legs, smimming around and under your boat. Its like they know that I can feel them. As far as the folding part of the boat, it wouldn't matter much either way to me because its the feel I am after. Being able to fold it for travel makes it even more special and is just a added bonus for me.
5

Agree with other reviewers.…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 11/19/2001
Agree with other reviewers. This is fantastic boat. I had Khatsalano S. Bought used. Carried it many places. Loved paddling it. Great secondary stability. Wonderful seat. Loved the way it flows with water instead of working against it. Sold it only because I have K-light and found that easier to carry - and easier for my paddling partners to use. I can have wider variety of paddling partners in K-light because do not need the same skill to handle it. Wish I could have kept both.

ONLY drawback I noted to the Khat was that it was hard to roll, because of flat rear deck (creates "suction" at exact peak of hip flick). BUT - the secondary stability was so strong, I cannot imagine needing to roll it - AND it was so stable that I could do rear deck re-entry even without paddle float....just use paddle as brace. Surprisingly stable when flooded - but don't try this. Lots of water to pump out if seasock slips.

5

Actually I'd rate it a 12 but…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 4/6/2000
Actually I'd rate it a 12 but the selection stopped at 10. After a business trip to Australia with an opportunity squeeze in some paddling the kat..'s worth every penny I spent. Let's get the downsides out of the way, extremely pricey. I found one used. I had to make a decision between the kat. and a new Folbot and the kat was still double the price of a new Kodiak. But since I travel on business frequently, the single pack and the pack size drove my decision to the kat. Second, it takes at least 45 minutes to set-up, even with practice. The sophisticated design has many parts and they just take time to assemble, and disassemble and pack properly, particularly when checking as baggage. Now for the good stuff...After my first paddle on my first business trip that I "schlepped" the thing, I never regretted my choice. "Bottom line," the kat. is a high performance sea kayak. It handles like a European touring car (sports car handling with comfort and safety). If you normally paddle a performance hard kayak, you will be satisfied with the kat... especially in a folding package. I'm a lighter paddler, 150 lbs. It handled all conditions well, very easily driven. The appearance attracted a lot of attention.
5

The Khatsalano isn't a boat, its a dream come true.First, lets get…

Submitted by: paddler227970 on 12/3/1998
The Khatsalano isn't a boat, its a dream come true.

First, lets get the hard numbers our of the way. It weighs 43 pounds, has a 22" beam, a depth of 11.5" and is 17'9" long. It has a hard chine greenland style hull plan. These numbers put it solidly in the category of a high performance, advanced kayak. The amazing thing is, the whole boat folds into a sinlge backpack that you can check onto an airplane.

This is so important when you think about the Khatsalano that I want to repeat it. This is a high performance greenland style kayak that will hold its own with any hard body kayak -- but it is a folding boat.

The engineering is marvelous and even if you don't plan to buy one, its worth checking one out to enjoy the ingenuity that went into its design.

But what is it like to paddle? Well, they mean it when they call this an advanced boat. Its primary stability is very low. I love putting people in my boat and watch their faces when they see how tippy it is. The secondary stability, however, is dream-like in its quality. This is a sea kayak that loves to be up on its side carving turns and "getting frisky". I have never been in a sea kayak that was so playful. Yes you need skill to handle it, but if you have the skills (and a roll for when the skills let you down), this boat is incredible.

This boat is great for all around paddling. It really shines in rough water where it playful character comes into play. On the other hand, long paddles in rough water get exhausting as it does take active bracing to keep it up. For this reason, I use my tamer and more stable boats on long open ocean trips.

There is a down side to this boat. It costs a fortune. Mine was just under $4000 dollars! Yes, they are supposed to last a long time, but still, I could almost buy a couple fiberglass boats for that price.

Also, at my weight (225 pounds), the boat doesn't have enough volume to manage the surf. I have had it sink like a squirt boat in the breaking surf --- a lot of fun, but not exactly what you're looking for when kayak surfing. On the other hand, this low volume also lets it slice right though big nastey waves making it great for surf launch and landings.

The other downside is the setup time. The feathercraft web site lists setup time as 30 minutes. I don't know what they were smoking when they came up with that number! I have practiced hard and if I realy push it, I can get the boat together in 45 minutes. I usually give myself an hour. Take down is also non-trivial.

Also, the backpack that comes with the boat is usless. For a boat that was so carefully designed and lovingly constructed, the absurd backpack is a real surprise. This isn't a big deal, though, as I find it much easier to move the paced boat throught the airport on a collapsable luggage cart.

I could go on for hours about my Khatsalano, I love it that much. But let me close with one last, little understood aspect of this boat. Like many folding kayaks, it has small internal sponsons. These are like long condoms that are incorporated into the upper thrid on each side of the hull. You can leave the sponson's uninflated to get the full benefits of the boats hard chine. If you want to increase primary stbility and soften the chine, you only need to inlfate the sponsons.

This is wonderful since it gives you two boats in one. If the water gets too rough and I want to have an easier time staying upright, I blow up the sponsons and have my stable cruser. If I want to get a bit crazy and fool around, I leave them deflated. All this in one boat. If you want a folding boat without compromising on performance, there is only one boat to buy --- the Khatsalano.