Hi all
Could a few of you more experienced folks please provide me with some feedback on the Quoddy Lite? I don’t have a lot of ways in which to compare boats and would appreciate input from anyone who may have tried this boat or another boat made by Lincoln. I am looking for a boat that falls inbetween a rec kayak and a full out sea kayak. Purpose is primarily for lakes, ponds, slow moving water, maybe some close to shore protected bays and coves. Would like a boat that is good for beginner skills that will also have the ability to handle conditions.
I’m 5’6 and 140 lbs. I have looked at the reviews and would appreciate hearing from others if possible.
Also, any input on the durability of composite versus plastic. I would like a light boat but can struggle with a heavier one if I have to be overly cautious of potentially ruining a composite.
Thanks!
Chebeaque
My first “sea kayak” was a Chebeaque - the Quoddy’s slightly bigger brother. I love the boat - it is similar in handling to the Boreal Pachena. Has excellent primary stability and an interesting point in the secondary stability, which, once you cross it, you’re probably going over. Found it once or twice, but otherwise it was fine.
This boat is a sea kayak, although it is slower than longer, narrower boats. It has watertight comparments and everything! I’ve had mine in the ocean, on rivers (slow moving) and lakes. The quality of Lincoln boats is excellent and their customer service when I bought mine was also excellent (had some problems with a hatch cover - they replaced it no questions asked, even though it turned out to be user error). This kayak has been on weekend camping trips and carries its share of the gear.
I also love the weight - at 38 pounds, it’s extremely easy to car-top for an out-of-shape woman. I found it quite durable and have had no problems with mine. I kept it for years as a guest boat - it’s currently in storage, because I don’t really want to get rid of it.
jd-s
Thanks, jd-s.
Sounds like your experience with Lincoln was a good one. Nice to read that you were really thrilled with the boat as well. So no problems with needing gel coat repair? I’ve only experienced plastic boats and minimally at that.
These boats are a lot of money for me but the decrease in weight might be worth it over all.
Kind of nice to consider buying a boat that is locally made too. Thanks for weighing in.
Eggemoggin
I’ve got a few kayaks and the Lincoln Eggemoggin is my favorite Brit ‘style’ sea kayak. The cockpit is a cross between an ocean and a keyhole and you would probably (based on your height)be able to enter cowboy style…I have to go in off the back deck straight legged. I’ve had the Egg in 2-3 foot waves in an open water crossing and never felt stressed. Plenty of room for camping and it has the 4th hatch which I’ve preached about for years (I’ve added such to some of my boats and the P/H Cetus has one OEM)…the best feature of the Eggemoggin is the kev-light process Lincoln uses-I think other manuf. are now doing same, and my Egg weighs 41 pounds…not too shabby for a boat of this length. The boat does everything a sea kayak is supposed to, leans/edges/rolls, but I cannot lay back flat completely on the back deck but there is only one boat I’ve been in that I can do that (Tempest 165).
Similar boat
in thermoform plastic is the Delta 12.10 made by Delta Kayaks. The kayak has a bunch of real seakayak rigging, thigh braces and is a medium chine. Price is around $1300. Tony Palmer of Kanawa did a review and seems to like the boat a lot.
A different perspective
http://www.canoesandkayaks.com/kayaks.htm
I have never paddled a Quoddy Light (just as no one above has either), but offer a varied perspective for you to consider.
My father, an avid paddler, one of his routine paddling partners own a Quoddy Light by Lincoln. Although the guy could hand carry that boat to and from the put-in with ease, the boat itself was not particularly fast on the water, as explained by its generous 25 inch beam on a 12.5 foot long boat. My dad paddles a very heavy, Old Town 13.5 foot Adventure XL, and had no issue keeping up with the Quoddy Light. It seems, but I do ont know thois., that the other paddler had the kevlar Quoddy at over $2500. he did, in the first season, experience one need for repair from a rock hit on a lake, and had to search high and low for a repair person, and as I understand it, eventually took it back to Lincoln (a very long drive).
I offered this same story in a prior thread on Quoddy (sorry for redundancy):
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=532057
Seems to be skeg dependent, typical of a shorter boat, and that is something to consider in your purchase of a Quoddy. Overly skeg dependent for straight tracking is not a good feature.
I see that the 30 lber is $1750. I think if you intend to get old, as we all do, a lightweight boat will help outside the water with portages. It will make little to no difference in the water--in fact, having some weight in the boat on water is helpful for many designs. If portages is the #1 key facrtor, then it's reasonable to consider (although other traditional sea kayaks can be bought for similar prices...particualarly the kevlar price).
If your goal is efficient paddling for many years, perhaps progressing in the sport which you seem to love as you've been doing it for three years already, and enjoying the types of waters you suggest (protected coves, estuaries, lakes, etc), I have little doubt that a 16+ foot traditional sea kayak, which new is about $2500-2999 and used can easily be bought for $1300-$1700 in composite and significantly less in plastic (newer plastics such as Prijon and Valley brand are outstanding) on eBay and on Pnet Classifieds, would be a way to go. 12.5 feet long, 25 inch beam, and $1750 for composite/$2500 for kev, sees pricy. I beleieve, but do not know this, that your resale someday, should you decide to sell it, would be harder as few kayakers are willing to spend that price on a boat with the specs (other than weight) of a rec kayak. Traditional sea kayaks by famous and reliable makers (Valley, Prijon, P&H, Impex, etc) generally have good public demand and very nice resale prices.
Example: here is a thread asking about Quoddy Light, and no one replies even mentioning it; not a common boat.
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=397065
But you will get a nice boat used for $1800 in even these premiere brand names that will serve you well in future paddling, particularly if you paddle with a group of others paddling in faster sea kayaks.
You live in a gorgeous part of teh country, Maine, and already have a nice plastic rec kayak in the Manitou. It would seem like the Quoddy, except for some off water weight portage considerations, would serve a similar role to your Manitou Sport. If you want slow, small water, no chop, photography, etc, you alerady have a super fine boat. If you want the challenge of keeping up with a paddling group, hitting some gentle ocean (which can turn not gentle in a flash), advancing your boat skills with edging, boat control, carve turns, etc, and enjoybing some true speed/ efficiceny on larger waters, then a sea kayak would be your best bet. Find a friend with a sea kayak 16+ feet long, try it out, and you'll be hooked.
Just a different prespective. G'luck, Trish.
Gel coat
My Lincoln lives in New Hampshire… it’s called the Granite State for a reason. I paddled this boat a lot on shallow, dam created lakes and often found some of that aforementioned granite. While I don’t recommend hitting rocks for no good reason in a kevlar or fiberglass boat (I do it all the time in my RM playboats, now), a few scratches are not a problem. I have done some repairing on my CD Caribou - but mostly because I was down to glass on the keel.
kayaks
Thank you all for your replies and perspectives.
I have sold my Manitou Sport and will keep on in my pursuit to find something a little more efficient and seaworthy, although I hate to use the word sea worthy, because it remains to be seen if I will ever use a boat in the ocean. It would be nice nevertheless to know it can handle any rough water that should occur no matter if it’s a large lake or small bay.
I think I have decided against the Quoddy Light. Cooldoctor has made some good points that make sense. At any rate, the whole boat buying thing has been put on hold as I found a buyer for my house and am in the process of getting rid of too many years of stuff. What I might and should do is get some skills lessons and try out some other boats in the process.
I did recently get to try the following boats which was rather fun:
Pungo 120
Carolina 145 ( I think that was the size)
Ocean Kayak Caper sot
Hurricane Phoenix 14 sot
Quoddy Light
I’ll keep looking as opportunities arise. I love being out on the water just for the sake of being out there. I’m not necessarily interested in speed, but efficiency is important. Plus I paddle alone 99% of the time. Weight is important as well- car topping and what not.
Thanks much!
Yet Another Possibility
Bumped into (well not literally) a person a couple of weeks ago with this small boat from Epic kayaks. He had a shoulder injury that encouraged him to use a lighter boat. He was raving about it. Might want to add this one to your list www.epickayaks.com. Eddyline makes a small boat (the Skylark?) that I’ve heard good things about from an owner as well.
I demoed the Quoddy a number of years ago, and it seems like a nice enough boat. Not a lot of dealers in my area carry Lincoln.
Lou