Chelan

This Product Has Been Discontinued

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Chelan Description

The Chelan is a kayak brought to you by Necky Kayak. Read Chelan 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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Chelan Reviews

Read reviews for the Chelan by Necky Kayak 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

I bought my Chelan used…

Submitted by: paddler1326 on 12/27/2023

I bought my Chelan used three years ago. I'm sure it's now over 20 years old. I replaced the bungees and the fancy inflatable seat no longer inflates (but I find think it's comfortable enough anyway), so the boat pretty much functions as well as I'm sure it did when new. Overall, I've been very happy with it. It's tough, stable, tracks fine without rudder when conditions are calm and with the rudder when they're not. It hit a sweet spot for my first 'real' touring boat, just enough capacity for light camping or day recreation/touring, just light enough (55 lbs, I believe, as noted by another reviewer) to load by myself, easy to keep on track with rudder, very stable, and highly durable. For a day-trip or short overnight-trip boat having more capabilities than most recreational boats, a used Necky Chelan still makes a great choice because it will probably last forever with almost no attention.

4

I bought the Chelan in early…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 7/19/2004
I bought the Chelan in early spring. I love it. I already had a Gannet by Necky. I am sold on the diamond hull. I find it so easy to turn because of the hard chine hull. Talk about comfort. My husband has a Napali sit on top and complains about the UNOWANT being sore while I am soaring. I just give my seat a little pump and smile. I love the rudder. it lets me make such smooth racking moves.

I like X deck rigging, I find i can easily organize my safety gear and snack bag under the bungies. My Gannet ios rigged in a similar fashion.

So far I have not had any problems keeping water out of the hatches. If I do I was thinking of adding a rubber seal around the perimeter of the hatch hole and seperating walls.

I have taken it on lakes and rivers. I was easily able to keep up with the rest of our paddling club. I find it cuts in the waves and does well against the currents. I took in the Niagara River last week, ( yes above the Falls, not that close, but close enough to see the New Casino ) and it was great. You could however feel the force and the strenght of that mass of water, mind you this was on a calm day.

My only regret is that it was not marketed this year. It is a great ladies boat. All in all I have been impressed with this boat. I plan to use it for surf, lakes and local rivers. Its length, weight(55 lbs), and spirited performance make it a nice day to day kayak. I can recommend this boat to anyone wanting a fun, comfortable light touring boat. I will follow up with a report on its performance in the ocean.

4

Just bought this boat and…

Submitted by: jckayaker on 8/11/2003
Just bought this boat and went out for 7 miles. You won't win any races with this kayak but the seat is great . Its very agile and playful . Initial and secondary stability is great!! It has the ability to be loaded to do some day to light touring with its 2 flush mounted hatches. I would give it a 10 but there is no such thing as the perfect kayak !
4

I would agree with all of the…

Submitted by: paddler230227 on 7/1/2003
I would agree with all of the above, especially the part about the paddlefloat rigging. After a wet exit it is difficult to keep the paddlefloat relatively stable. There was also a small amount of water in the hatches. Love the seat! The boat is perfect for me at 130 lbs, and as I am new to the sport, I plan to use it to tour the perimeter of lakes in my area, and slow rivers. The secondary stability is excellent. A bottle holder would have been a nice touch. All in all I am quite happy with this boat.
4

The Chelan is a new boat for…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 6/9/2003
The Chelan is a new boat for 2003. It resembles the popular Zoar Sport with the trademark Necky diamond hull. It has flush mounted hatches much like the Elaho. Because of its short length (13'7") and hard chine hull it really turns on a dime. I was impressed with the comfortable fit. Necky has really made a breakthrough with its new air seat. The seat has an air bladder under its seating surface that is pumped up via an air bulb (like a blood pressure cuff). They combine this with a supportive backband to provide what I feel is the most comfortable kayak seat I've ever used. A member of our kayak club actually retrofitted this seat into his Dagger boat. This translates into more comfort and more time spent in the boat. The rudder design has changed as well. A more durable metal housing is utilized. Nice small details-soft toggle handles make portages easier, rudder loop keeps the rudder in place during transport.

On the water:
This boat is really alot of fun. It has very quick response to turns and leans. On edge, one strong sweep stroke will put you in another direction. The boat tracks well for a small boat. The hull takes advantage of its wetted surface area by having a more gentle amount of rocker. The dolphin bow tends to ride up waves and shed water to the side. When the going gets rough the Chelan handles chop with ease. This is my first hard chined boat and I'm sold on the hull shape. I am looking forward to lauching this boat in the New Jersey surf next month. Now the negatives. The deck rigging needs improvement. The molded-in deck rigging attachments make the paddle float rigging an "X" shape rather a more stable square. I re-rigged the float lines immediately. Some slight leaking in the hatches was noticed.

The neoprene covers under the hard hatches should provide protection against all out failure but I'm thinking dry bags.

All in all I have been impressed with this boat. I plan to use it for surf, lakes and local rivers. Its length, weight(55 lbs), and spirited performance make it a nice day to day kayak. I can recommend this boat to anyone wanting a fun, comfortable light touring boat. I will follow up with a report on its performance in the ocean.