Likewise, the Squall was my first "touring kayak", following my rec oriented WS CapeLookout (which I learned to roll in). Had no problems whatsoever with rolling the Squall. Being still relatively inexperienced, I just couldn't paddle the Squall straight for the life of me. And, I didn't want to be rudder reliant, so I got rid of it.
My next touring kayak, the Impex Montauk was vanilla fine but slightly bigger than I need. I test paddled a Vela which I actually I liked more for the fit and the predictable handling. I felt the same about the Rumour tho' it is a little tippier than the Vela (which again, I don't think it's a bad thing). Than I got into a Greenland S&G 17'x20", which tended to weathercock too much for my taste and led me to building a tighter and better trimmed SOF. The latter handled wonderfully for day trips and was fast enough for me to keep up with my occaisional paddling partners (tho' I increasingly paddled more solo than not, making "speed" irrelevant compared to it's "seaworthiness" for me).
Of course, I then got into paddle surfing and surf specific crafts and increasingly moved away from "touring" boats altogether. But, then I got into striper kayak fishing which them got me into SOTs - crafts which I think are actually quite versatile, not withstanding the categorical maligning by the SINK afficionado.
Anyway, blah, blah... As I said in another thread. There really aren't many terrible kayaks (at least in the mid and upper price range). It mostly comes down to what you want to do, the venue, your skills and physical attributes (and, of course, price range)that determine the "best" kayak.
sing
A lover of paddle crafts but monogamous to none, AKA boat slut.
I paddle a Shadow Not sure how similar the hulls are, but if they share any DNA here’s my take on the Shadow. The initial stability is very “loose” to the point of being almost nonexistent, but the secondary is rock solid. It kind of wants to rest on one cheek or the other, really easy to engage the edges for turning, and again very reassuring on edge. Have always been able to roll mine easily, does have a boxy shape in the cross section, so it can feel a little “sticky” once totally inverted. Seems to have volume in all the right places making it buoyant in knarly water. The flattish bottom, good rocker profile,and hard chines make it a blast in the surf but you have to be willing to trust the edges. Overall it’s a boat that will initially challenge you but can do a lot of different things well. I mainly use mine for touring these days, have to be mindful packing it easy to throw off the trim because of the light initial stability, otherwise a good tripping boat. Fun to paddle empty in dynamic water, kinda dances through the water, the hard chines let you feel every bit of energy bouncing around. It’s a boat you’re best off paddling often, can be tricky to just jump in every once in awhile and paddle well.
We've been thru the same boats. The Vela is still my go to boat (and the poor deck looks like it), though I am keeping the Romany around for if I think I will need a rescue platform on a paddle. The tail of the Vela is not much use for a 6 ft 2 inch guy.
In case the OPer has been in a Vela, I would agree the Rumour feels less protective on its stability. Honestly, I have yet to find anything the Vela isn't pretty paddler-friendly in as long as you stay relaxed - some surf, haystacks over my head in a tidal race that was putting coaches upside down... she just bounces thru it no fuss no muss. I never had to brace.
But I am pretty sure I would have had the paddle out for some bracing in the Rumour.
I just read the post below on the Shadow, describing what we think of as primary stability as being very loose. I think that is a good description. I do remember that while the Rumour eventually stopped on the flat water, its response to an edge was to really go to an edge. Not halfway there like many sea kayaks do.
That was me I added foam thigh braces to Linda’s Rumour. She loves the boat, but it’s challenging to paddle. Definitely not for the faint of heart or those with poor balance. It is pretty fast for a short boat.
Probably faster than my solstice? Do you think it’s probably faster than my Solstice ST, just curious? My Solstice S T is pretty fast for what I’ve experienced.
(If your "motor" is strong enough to maximize) the Solstice has higher speed potential because of its longer waterline at 17' plus and should be theoretically faster than the shorter 16' (and more rockered) Rumour. Plus, the Solstice's rudder will allow to the paddler to focus more on paddling than on corrective strokes and/or edging. (Take notice that most racing kayaks have a rudder rather than a skeg.)
However, coming back to your "seaworthiness" which I take to mean controllable and more easily adaptable characteristics in more "challenging" conditions (again provided a paddler's skills and confidence), than I would give the edge to the Rumour. In rough conditions, the Rumour may actually perform "faster" than a Solstice.
Is your priority only speed? If so, for your size the Foster boat to consider is the Silhouette. Similarly to the Solstice it is a tracker. It should be a faster hull than the Rumour. It is also still a Foster boat in its stabilities.
Why did you you start the discussion about the Rumour. It doesn’t appear that you have one under your nose. Are you looking for a new boat? If so, what are your criteria in terms of importance?
I am looking for a new boat I love my solstice ST, however I want something that is more snug in the cockpit and a little lower deck then my Solstice. Over the years my skills have improved to where I want a more challenging boat. I like the rumor for its versatility and it’s certainly a lot lighter.
Silhouette Cockpit I’m 5’ 4" and 135lbs and find the cockpit on the Silhouette fits me well. It has a low deck. I did add thin hip and thigh grip shims. The Rumor should be a lighter boat and be more playful giving you more seperation from your Solstice.
...and while it's similar to the Shadow, but a bit less stable, there's no comparison with the Rumour. The Rumour is MUCH less stable, due to a very different hull design. It actually has a small degree of negative rocker and the section with chines is very short. It is a challenging boat to paddle and is best suited to shorter, lighter paddlers with excellent balance. While Linda loves her boat, I could never get comfortable in it. Also, the negative rocker can make launching a bit of an ordeal.
I eventually sold the Silhouette because it required too much attention to keep it upright in tricky conditions, much more than the Nordkapp, Pintail or Anas Acuta. I've taken a couple of courses with Nigel Foster and watching him paddle one of his designs is inspirational, but they're an acquired taste and not suited to everyone. That said, you may love it.
Yes, it’s one of the Foster boats Nigel has had his boats built by several manufacturers over the years (our boats were built in Holland), but the hull designs have remained the same. I’m pretty sure that Nigel is adamant about that when he licenses someone to build them.
The deck configurations have changed, except for the cockpit size. For example, Linda’s boat has oval Valley hatches front and rear, plus the day hatch.
CD vs. Foster-Rowe I’ve heard the CD Rumour is different than the original, not the hull but the cockpit. Someone In our area had tried the CD prototype and ordered it, when it arrived she turned it down. Apparently the cockpit was a lot bigger on the production model.
It’s odd your Foster-Rowe lacked thigh braces, my old Shadow had thigh braces so large they had to be cut back. Now they’re more aggressive than the walden and Seward models but I can actually fit into the kayak.
Personally I would love to find an Echo, but I think they only made 2 or 3 of them.
That’s certainly possible The pictures look similar, but it’s hard to say unless you actually see both boats. The hatch configuration and deck rigging are definitely different.