So far, I have two boats, one inflatable and one hardshell. They are both perfect for what I needed. The inflatable is great for a group trip, as it will hold lots! The hardshell is great for smaller groups with folks who don’t have a lot of stuff. The hardshell is also better for white water. I have been looking at play boats, but my skills aren’t there yet. So I guess I got lucky, my boats are perfect!
I have generally found some positive attribute or attributes in just about every boat I have owned, which have been many. But there have been one or two major disappointments.
A Wave Sport Exel whitewater kayak comes to mind and I was less than enthralled with a Dagger Impulse whitewater solo canoe.
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One!
I bought a new Kevlar Necky Arluk 1.9, made in British Columbia, in 1999 from Atlantic Kayak, then located in Alexandria, VA. for about $1900. This was following major health incident when I had been working two jobs and I decided enough was enough. I didn’t really need the extra money, and it was time to refocus.
I did a fair amount of research and asked a lot of questions, and pretty much knew what I wanted to do with a kayak. I was planning on a lot of solo long distance day trips exploring the Chesapeake Bay area. The Bay and its tidal tributaries have 11,684 miles of shoreline —more than the entire U.S. west coast.
I took a weekend basic course and a cold water workshop. I then went a several guided day trips where Atlantic kayak let me choose any boat that I was interested in buying. I asked a million questions of the guides on these trips. I wanted a relatively light boat that I could load by myself, suitable for big open water, and fast enough to go distance and keep up with the whippersnappers.
The Arluk 1.9 fit these purposes perfectly. I’ve occasionally wished I had a plastic boat for rocky areas or a shorter boat for exploring twisting creeks, but the Arluk still served in most of these cases.
The Arluk was discontinued in about 2002 and Necky was bought by Johnson Outdoors the year before I bought my boat… Johnson killed Necky altogether a few years ago. In theory whey will still honor my lifetime warranty. Hasn’t broke yet!
Unless I break it, this is my lifetime boat.
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My first was the one I spent the most on (usually goes the other way): $3300 for a Feathercraft Kahuna, new at the outfitter in 2002 after hearing about a new friend’s annual adventures with a vintage Folbot in the Kenai Peninsula I wanted a folding kayak so I could travel with it. After that, I was off and running (er, paddling). Many of the following were “loaner” boats that I kept for sharing with friends but also occasionally used myself:
- used Dagger Magellan $400 (4 years then sold it)
- used Aquaterra Scimitar $325 (3 years then sold it)
- used Feathercraft K1 Expedition $2500 (2 years then sold it)
- FC Wisper for $2200. Still have that one and would never get rid of it.
- 18’ Greenland replica SOF from a guy in Wisconsin for $900 (plus the cost of a RT ticket on the Lake Michigan ferry I took across to fetch the boat.) Still also have that and would never surrender it.
- new Venture Easky 15LV, the only resident poly boat at the moment. Also a keeper.
- 4 Pakboat folders in the current armada: vintage Puffin solo, Quest 135 and a pair of Swift 14’s I am restoring.
- Necky Looksha 17 (gifted to brother)
- Perception Monterey 14.5 (gifted to sister in law)
- Pakboat XT-15 (sold)
- homebuilt FG old school 13’ “pointy” WW boat (sold it - way to small for my middle aged butt)
- Dagger RPM (made me realize I really, really do not like whitewater, plus my “ballet turnout” feet don’t fit under the deck of ww boats without massive cramping and inability to stick my thighs under the coaming),
- Mad River Adventure 16 (“tupperware” tandem canoe thingy – funky boat but kind of a blast for banging around in class I and II streams. Had a lot of fun with it.)
- Old Town Guide 146 canoe (both canoes were shared custody, gave up to ex during break up)
- the most oilcanned and UV damaged vintage Aquaterra Chinook kayak you ever saw (but it was only $75 and had a fabulous custom made stainless rudder we cannibalized).
Two summers ago, got the final addition: vintage Curtis Lady Bug solo canoe.
So that was 20 boats and I still have 8 of them. But at one point I think I added up that I had bought $17,000 worth of kayaks and canoes but “only” paid about $9000 for them over the years, and had gotten $5000 for selling half of them. Most of the used ones came with decent paddles and skirts and some even with a helmet or PFD. So spending $4000 net for the 7 kayaks and 1 canoe I now have is only a final average of $500 each. I do plan to sell at least two of the Pakboats later this year. The 5 that will be left are all different and I rotate among them for various performance factors. I might indulge in one of the light and sleek Stellar kayaks eventually but for now I am pretty happy with the selection I have. I do admit that after Celia let me use her Romany for a day I would be inclined to lust after one of those truly sweet boats if I did more coastal paddling.
Due to resale value I view owning most boats from the point of view that they are “rented” for the period of time I keep them before recovering the lion’s share of the initial cost when I pass them on.
Buying used boats and making repairs and upgrades adds value. I have made money on all of my boats except maybe one sailboat. Even the aluminum boats have gone up in value.
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that Impulse was to blame imo for Eckilsons many swims at a local (for me) playspot. Funny how it looks like an Encore viewed from above, but the hull is sooo different. OTOH…
Yeah, Dagger claimed the Impulse was faster than the Encore, although I never noticed it to be in any noticeable way, and given its shorter length and inch wider waterline beam it is kind of hard to figure how it could have been. I found it a bit less maneuverable than the Encore having somewhat less rocker, and it was much harder to roll than the Encore.
Paddled a borrowed Impulse on my first solo trip on the Lower Yough. Previously WW paddling had been tandem in a MR Explorer with a number of trips on the Lower. The Impulse seemed pretty bland and/or unremarkable with my limited experience. I ended up getting a good deal on a Dagger Rival.
Of the 23 kayaks I’ve owned, I still have first one I ever bought - an Old Town Loon 100. I haven’t come across a nicer paddling ten footer.
I’ve had my share of boats. I should have kept track. Another thing to think about is ,having the right boat at the right time. I paddled a P&H Sirius S for 7 years before I sold it. I then went on a quest to find that perfect boat; someting that would do everything the Sirius would do but with more volume for tripping. After severasl boats and years I bought my old Sirius back. Now , having that boat back ,I thougt all would be good, I soon realized I lost alot of flexability and the smaller cockpit opening wasn’t going to work. The Sirius went back on the selling block.
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5, until I bought my Eddyline Rio and Fathom LV. Kayaks are like men, you got to kiss a few frogs until you find your prince.
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I’m just starting my kayak buying journey and reading all these comments is definitely giving great insight!
I’ve only owned 3 cheap recreational kayaks, first was a sit inside, then SOT fishing kayak, and now traded it for another 10ft sit inside, and will use this one until I can get ahold of someone selling a 12-16ft sit inside that has dry storage. I’m not too picky and am actually almost content with my Lifetime Lancer 10ft. I just really want a little more efficient speed/tracking and the storage to be dry. So if any of you that are thinning the herd, have something of the sort for around $250 (my current budget) and in the Aiken/Columbia SC area, let me know. I know $250 isn’t much and doesn’t really cut it, but I don’t mind if it’s ugly and well used. (I’m almost happy with the cheap Walmart kayak, that should say it all. Hahah)
Well, I must not be particular enough. Excluding my daughter’s kayaks, the only kayak or canoe that I have been an owner of that is no longer around is a Wenonah Jensen 18. That one I only half owned and it went off with the other half owner after 12 years or so to meet its demise in a Missouri creek (or so I’m told). That one was replaced by a Sawyer Cruiser that is still on the rack in the yard. I do have a Yost Sea Rider hanging in the garage that will probably become scrap. It needs to be re-skinned as I made some errors in the frames and the skin has worn through there. to be honest, it was fun to build but it is just too narrow and tight (19" at the gunwales & ocean cockpit) to be comfortable to paddle. The Delphin covers most of where I wanted to go from the Arctic Tern.
Other craft around:
Dagger Rival: At 70 I don’t expect to be paddling much class III stuff but it’s not going anywhere until the estate sale.
Mad River Independence: this is officially my wife’s canoe although I often enjoy it as well.
Wenonah Tuffweave Rendezvous: a rescue boat an my main solo. I really enjoy it except when there is a wind on the stern quarter in calm (ish) water. The is when I understand why Buckley had a rudder on his personal one that we tested when looking for our first solo.
Nova Craft Prospector 16: Everyone needs a wilderness truck, right? The two tandems don’t get out much but they are there when needed.
Right on.
When I was a kid I got a Grumman 17 std. Its been to the BWCA a bunch of times, dated my first high school girlfriend in it. I used it when I pulled trash with high school buds from a local pond on the very first Earth Day, done countless river trips on more rivers than I can remember, first date with my future ex-wife, anniversary trips… It can carry a heck of a load, but it can haul no load greater than the load of happy memories it carries for me.
But is it the “right” one? Heck no. Its like looking at a tool box and trying to figure out what is the perfect tool to put in it is.
When I found myself paddling solo more than with a partner, and paddling with sea kayakers I wanted a solo and something faster. Bought a blem Blackhawk Starship because I think its important to support local businesses, especially when they make such a fine product. Its still my favorite for soloing flat water with a full load of camping gear. Love that boat - it has a glide that just won’t quit and fights a wind better than any canoe I’ve ever paddled - but on twisty Ozark streams it is slow to turn and requires maneuvering well ahead of an obstacle. The Blackhawk Ariel I got from TheBob is much better for that, as long as its loaded light. And the Grumman is heavy for portages if you’re not still in your 20s, so a Bell Mystic was in order. That thing is an out and out rocket on flatwater and a dream to carry, though its not a fast maneuvering boat and will knife into big waves with a heavy load, and the kevlar is a bit fragile in rocky rivers. So the Royalex Nova Craft Prospector 16 is better for that, and not too bad for soloing moderate whitewater either, even with a load. But it doesn’t dance solo like the Royalex Mad River Flashback I then acquired for that purpose - when I failed to find the MR Guide I was looking for.
The right one? Ain’t no such thing. Sometimes you need a framing hammer, sometimes a sledge, sometimes a tack, sometimes a dead blow… I have one of each. Same with canoes - I love and have use for each of them. Never have sold a canoe or bought one I don’t love. In fact, the only boat of any kind I’ve ever sold is the 12’ Alumacraft fishing boat (and Evenrude 7.5) I inherited when my dad passed away. That had a ton of memories, too… Well, we can’t hang on to everything forever, right?
The Prospector and Grumman are the ones that, basically unchanged, are still in production. Strange isn’t it… that all those super preforming specialized “better mouse traps” are gone and somehow the generalists persist. Like all those brands of the plain old 16oz claw.
I got my first quasi-sea kayak for $300, a Wilderness Systems boat that was quite decent. Your budget, while admittedly very low for what you seek, is possible if you have patience, look assiduously, and are ready to pounce at a moment’s notice.
Note that you’re after a boat with two sealed bulkheads, which provide crucial flotation in case you capsize, so the boat won’t fill with water and sink. The dry storage is the second most important function. Also most hatches, especially on cheaper boats, are not bone-dry and items that really need to be protected need to be stored inside dry bags.
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For serious paddle heads there are a always a fleet of canoes out behind the house, and the quest for the next one really never ends.
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Late in one’s paddling career, it is highly recommended that one purchase a wooden boat. This is in preparation for the flaming Viking funeral.
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Hmmmm; maybe I should keep the Yost Sea Rider around for the funeral. At least then I won’t be concerned about dislocating my knees to get into the cockpit.
This reminds me of just how much I want to build my own wooden boat!
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I got lucky, first kayak was gifted to me, an older SOT Perception, the second one I bought for friends to play with when I am out, it is a Necky Vector SOT. I love them both.