Hi folks, love to hear some kayaks you wish you have never sold or will never sell. Here is mine :
Seabird Design Qanik - awesome west Greenland design by Bjorn Thomasson. Only a few in the US. Easier to roll than my SOF
NDK Explorer - sold it then spent the next two years regretting it. Try various boat to fill the void, cannot find anything that does everything the explorer did. Ended up buying another one and this one is staying with me for a long long time.
My 145 Tsunami Blue. I joined this forum to find info about faster boats. After two weeks. I realized that if I got a new boat, I might return from the trip and tell Blue about it. You can have Red the 175. He wouldn’t try any harder than what Blue would do - last boat. Been too many places together and afraid a new boat wouldn’t understand my limitation.
Interesting boat. No offense, because I do respect Pungos, but it does look like a race pungo. How is it set up with bulkheads or flotation. Hull and chine. What makes it your never sell.
Considered a “Decked Canoe”. Sort of a “Hybrid” but call it what you like. Paddle single or double blade. Comfy forward/aft, up/down adjustable seat. Easy in and out for one bad, one replaced knee’d getting older fella who has grown to hate getting in and out of a touring kayak. Easy load/unload. Room for a dog when he comes along. Big load carried for camping.
Good sailer (future use). Got this used with a sail setup so it’s ready when I am.
No bulkhead no hatches, but they install some foam forward and aft for some floatation. I have float bags added for additional safety.
Why?
The ideal boat for my future paddling. This will get heavy use in two years when I retire to Maine exploring the Maine Island Trail. Trips to Georgian Bay/Lake Huron ect. It’s no rock-garden playing or surf-ski screamin’ delight but it’s a very comfortable touring boat that will serve me well enjoying the open waters of my soon-to-be-home.
Joewildlife says it pretty well in his old review:
Your explanation and the first incredible review you included answered my question. A real unique beauty. Your comment about knees reminds me about the value of an open cockpit for many boaters. I sense bystanders looking around to see if I have a walker nearby as I struggle out of my kayak.
My Greenland II (1999) is huge and unwieldy and breaks a lot, but it’s part of my family’s life. My wife an I paddled it in the Gulf of Maine and when I had kids, I stuffed all four of us into it. I’ll keep it forever.
I grew up in my mom and dad’s wooden-ribbed Folbots. In a lot of ways they didn’t mess with success. The Greenland II is kind of high maintenance, I might not mind the easy repairability of wood while our compared to alu and plastic.
Still have one of the wood Seventies Folbot paddles hanging in my garage.
Not a kayak but…I don’t get out in her too often anymore but I did the 70 mile general Clinton in it this spring and it was a joy to paddle on the upper Susquehanna