My buddy is looking at this yak online, anyone have good or bad to say? We will demo hopefully this weekend. Also, I found a link tonight that says they moved mfg. to MN? I always assumed they were made in Canada…If it’s a looser he is prepared to pull the trigger on a VCP avocetRM…or a Capella if we can find one to try.
The VCP aquanautRM was a sweet yak but to heavy in the tripple layer. Supposedly they offer a single layer RM @60lbs. , but they can’t be found around here.
Is the CD quality up to VCP level?
The Sirocco
Is the RM version of the CD Gulfstream a Derek Hutchinson design. A very nice all around boat.
I wish…
That I could see some other pics of it. It seems every link I go to has the same pic of the blue one without a good overhead pic. Does it have a
“tractor seat”? looks hard with no padding.
I just can’t tell from the small pics.
Yes tractor seat…
I don’t know of any CD touring yak with a padded seat.
Sirocco’s a good boat
I regularly paddle with a couple of friends who own Sirocco’s and they’re very happy with them.
Dan
http://www.westcoastpaddler.com
I own a Gulfstream and have paddled
a Sirocco when my boat was in for repairs. The seat is a tractor seat exactly the same as mine. It, together with the standard backband are VERY comfortable.
I’ve had my boat for 5 years now and still love it. The Scirocco floats a little higher than the Gulfstream and so is a little more affected by wind. The boat tracks extremely well yet maneuvers well when put on edge. The skeg works well to control weathercocking.
The boat is not the fastest boat, but will hold its own. It handles rough water remarkably well. It is also easy to roll.
no comparison
– Last Updated: Jul-27-05 10:06 AM EST –
sirocco vs. the avocet, the avocet would win hands down unless your friend is a bigger guy. The Avocet is much more nimble, responsive, and fun. Although the theoretical hull speed of the sirocco may be higher than the avocet which has more rocker, the avocet is narrower which makes speed comparisons moot. I've paddled both kayaks and was pleased with the avocet's performance (rolls and surfs better than the sirocco as well) but felt the sirocco was a bit piggish for my tastes. Granted I am a smaller guy who likes lively kayaks. If you are larger and looking for a stable kayak which is extremely seaworthy, the sirocco is a decent design.
good boat
you’ve hit personal preference territory between Scirocco, Avocet and Capella. It would make a big difference whether he’s paddling in waves or not because the Capella might feel ho-hum in flat water and shine in waves. If he can’t tell the difference between them other than size/fit then it’s all kind of academic.
I paddles the Sirocco
for half a day on a bay with about 10-15 mph wind. It didn’t work well for me. At 5’ 7", and 175lbs, it felt too roomy, sat too high on the water, and weathercocked like mad. I had to have the skeg down a lot of the time, which fixed the problem, but it cost me in ease of making turns. I am also in the market for a poly sea kayak for play and day trips, and my short list now has Avocet RM, Capella RM, Chatham 16. I’ve used all three on different occasions but I’ll take them all out on the same day to make a final decision soon. All three have their strong and weak points.
Avi
Thanks for the info guys.
We will hopefully see the Sirocco on Sat. for a demo.
My friend is already familiar with my Avocet and likes it a lot, So we may end up with another one.
I wish we could demo a Capella as they have very nice features, a lot like Valley. For me it seems VCP has the no.1 spot for features/quality parts. I love those bulkheads vs. the minicell in others.
ps. Chatham 16
make sure the seat back isn’t loose against the back of the coaming. If you don’t like the thigh bracing see if your knees hook ok under the coaming with them removed.
I agree…Sirocco is “too roomy”…
…for some of us. Even the CD Slipstream, the slightly smaller version of the Gulfstream/Sirocco, feels too roomy for me (the deck still feels too high, with no real advantage gained by the high deck).
I haven’t paddled any of these Gulfstream variants with a full “camping gear load” (such ballast may indeed improve some aspects of performance), so I too found that I needed to use the skeg more than I would have liked with the unloaded boat.
The more I paddle, the more I crave low deck profile, low volume boats. My next building project will be a low volume SOF, and I’m really looking forward to it! 
Melissa