Cape Lookout 145

The Cape Lookout 145, which is no longer made, was my first kayak purchased new in 2002. My Lookout has been in just about every kind of water you can think of. I have made 5-6 trips kayak camping with the boat in North Carolina at Fontana Lake next to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. I got caught in a Thunderstorm near the ocean at the bay area of Pensacola Florida in 2004 and did a lot of praying while hugh waves slammed the back part of my boat as I struggled to get to shore. It held up tough in the storm! This boat is amazing!

I have never capsized in this boat, even with all I have been through. I even paddled this boat with some 17 foot touring kayaks/friends on a 27 mile trip down the Tennessee River.

I am very sad they stopped making it. I have kept up with the big boys in their 17 foot touring kayaks without any problem on EVERY trip I have been on. None of my friends with those larger boats ever questioned whether I could keep up with them because it was never an issue. It is a great cross between a touring boat and a day touring/recreation boat. It has a wonderful amount of room in the cockpit, is very stable, and again, has many of the features found on a full touring kayak (nice Phase 3 seat for example). While it is short on length, it makes up for it in width to store iems.

I just recently purchased a Cape Horn 170 (soon to be discontinued as well), and I can honestly say that the Cape Lookout would have served me just as well had I not purchased the Cape Horn. The only difference is a little more top bulkhead protection (straps and lid as opposed to rubber caps) and more storage space. The Lookout, if you can find one used, is what I would term a great "hybrid" "all around" boat between full touring and day touring/recreation. I even used it one time among canoe folks going down a very small river in a National Forest, a far cry from it's original intention. I got some laughs from the canoe guys! Other than me being nervous about damaging the rudder by slamming the back of the boat with the rudder into a rock wall, it did fine! I highly recommend this boat, especially if your are new to kayaking, or want a "general all purpose" boat.

I've been a kayaker for six years and have always rented boats. I thought it was time to buy a boat but I was considering my budget and I was visiting REI when I saw this Cape Lookout 145. Its shorter than most of the boats that I usually used but for my current 6'x225lb body the fit was good with out being too snug. I tried the boat out at an REI boat trials day on San Franciso Bay with lots of wind and short chop. The 145 did take a little work to keep straight but with the rudder down it tracked easily. The high rise in the deck over the cockpit was great for keeping me dry and giving me some knee room when I wanted it. Since my purchase three months ago I have paddled several large resevoirs (smooth water and wind chopped) and the kayak felt good about getting around in tight places as well as out in the open water. Last week I cruised from Sea Trek in Sausalito, across Richardson Bay, through wild Racoon Straight, around Angel Island and back for a ten mile ride. The 145 handled the wild ride with ease, though sometimes it felt a little sluggish. I surfed the rabid rip tides of Racoon Straight and crashed headlong through a combination of wind blown, fast fired ocean and and bay swells and waves and I hardly got wet. It was a screaming fun day and the Cape Outlook 145 proved its metal (roto-mold wise). Though you won't break any speed records, I highly recommend this little boat to take you anywhere you want to go and feel safe while doing so.

I purchased a used 2002 Cape Lookout 14.5 from a local touring/rental outfitter for $989 Cdn. A good deal. For a plastic boat is was not too bad lifting atop by Volvo wagon on my own. The boat is quite stable at least from a primary stability perspective. I did not get a chance to test the limits of its secondary stability as the water is too cold this time of year to risk dumping. I was not as pleased with the boat's tracking. Even with the rudder down, you had to pay attention to keeping the boat straight. After a few trips out, I came to realize that the wind and currents influence this boats tracking. I do most of my paddling in the bays and on the coast of Prince Edward Island where wind is a constant. This was not a terrible boat as reflected in my rating; however, the tracking was an issue for me so I traded it back to the outfitter in exchange for a Cape Horn 15 which I think is more suited to my needs. I have only had the Cape Horn out for a test drive and will report back once I have had it out for a few day trips.