Curious you get to pick a new kayak what would it be? Thanks!
A canoe! Maybe a Shacho or a Rival from Millbrook
(Sorry - can’t teach and old dog new tricks)
I’ve never paddled one but based on looks alone it would be the Shrike. Is this not beautiful? If I was a single man I’m pretty sure I could use it to pick up young women. You know… fifty year olds.
http://cnckayaks.com/project/shrike/
I might just have to build one.
I’ll stick with my Mariner Express. Eventually a wooden kayak would be nice, usable as a funeral pyre.
I think I’d love having a Coho (Pygmy kayaks), though I would not turn down any of their wooden kayaks.
I guess a person can’t have too much of a great thing, so I would have Doug build me another NC Expedition to match the one I have.
I’d pick a very, very expensive one, and immediately put it up for sale.
When it sold I’d buy a Hemlock SRT.
BOB
Rockpool’s Alaw or their Alaw Bach. They have killer customizable grfx.
As long as it’s free, I’d take this matched set. I’d even pay for one if I had to - these boats are just so pretty:
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/files/images/Two-Bootleggers.jpg
Of course, I’ll need an Adirondack great camp on a lake to go with them…
Tough call. I would like a few different ones. A Tiderace Pace Tour 17 would be nice but so would a Carbon/kevlar Valley Etain 17.5 with custom front bulkhead so no need for foot pegs. A Shrike would be cool BUT it has to be built, no time or space to build it myself.
Mariner Coaster
Probably a Stellar S18 Touring in the 35 pound Ultra carbon fiber/Nomex layup. I agree that the Shrike is beautiful and would probably be my first choice if I didn’t already have a West Greenland SOF pretty close to that design, dimensions and weight.
Either a Guillemot Petrel, or a Thomasson Design Isfjord
An Anas Acuta please.
I have no idea other than a fast LV kayak 15 to 16’, 21" beam, a well outfitted keyhole cockpit with Sea-lect foot braces, hard chines, tracks straight yet turns quickly, and weighs less than 40#. Probably doesn’t exist.
Probably a Little Wing 14 or an Epic GPX. Or, if it fits within your definition of kayak, a Placid Shadow.
I need another kayak like I need a hole in my head, but have been thinking about getting away from traditional sea kayaks, and getting a fast open water boat for touring and or day paddles. The Stellar S18 touring looks pretty sweet, never paddled one but it looks like fun, and I wouldn’t mind getting a light strong layup as well. ahttp://www.stellarkayaksusa.com/product-touring.php?id=12
I’ve also been on the fence about getting a new surf kayak, the one I’m down to is pretty beat up and the outfitting sucks, could get a new boat with rock solid layup that’s about 15lbs! Wouldn’t mind grabbing that for a quick hour long workout paddle, even if the waves suck, pretty good exercise just paddling even on flatwater.
http://www.megakayaks.co.uk/product.php?productid=17688
We have a local Stellar dealer here near Pittsburgh and they had an open house, demo day and barbecue at their shop right on the Yough River a couple of months ago. We got to check out the models – they had examples of all the Stellars in the shop and out in the yard for testing (though not in every lay-up). Really beautiful, well finished and nicely outfitted boats, sleek in the water and incredibly light. I honestly don’t “need” another kayak either (just trimmed the fleet to 5 recently). But the Stellars are real objects of desire. A free one? Heck, yeah! If only…
I’d give a pack canoe a try. Swift Keewaydin 14 or a PBW rapid-fire.