NDK Pilgrim

Specs
I spoke with MIKCO when the first press release came out and they didn’t even have the specs, only when the boat was going to be released and the demo MIGHT be arriving in Maine.



What may be confusing things is that in the MIKCO section “New Boats for Sale” they have RomanyLVs listed but with the Pilgrim name also in the same subject line. However, it’s pretty obvious that the RomanyLV and the Pilgrim are two different 'nanimals.

a bit on pilgrim
http://seakayakphoto.blogspot.com/2009/05/9th-scottish-sea-kayak-symposium.html



Also, according to the internet noise, the pilgrim is already in production, while pilgrim expedition will magically appear in August.

So, Romany LV specs = Pilgrim Specs?
“Sea Kayaking UK Pilgrim (Romany LV)

This is a small version of the classic Romany. It is designed for paddlers up to about 150lbs…”

Sea Kayak Georgia has/had one NM

Pilgrim out now, Pilgrim Expedition…
The Pilgrim Expedition comes out in August. The Pilgrim is available now. Yes, it’s a bit confusing.



I’m out of town so I can’t get the exact Pilgrim specs off the boat, but will do next week and post them to our web site. We have one in stock.


  • Tom

    Virginia Sea Kayak Center

Cockpit Height Please
Aside from length and width, would you measure cockpit height for and aft while you are at it with the tape? Thank you.

Sorry - talking about Excel
The specs for the Excel, which we were talking about, are readily available. Specs for the Pilgrim seem to be a secret.



Alan

No
The kayak I paddled in June that was labeled as “Romany LV” was most definitely not the same dimensions as the old Romany LV I paddled two years ago. Fit, feel, and looks are different. (BTW, I think this boat also was marked “prototype”.)



This may be another NDK screw-up–using the old name on the new boat for the first models sent out! Maybe they had not yet come up with the name then?



Regardless of name, it’s a really nice kayak for us small paddlers.

NDK labeling…
I paddled a Romany from MIKCo which said ‘Explorer’ on the chines and whose identification label inside the boat also said ‘Explorer’.



I demoed a Romany at AKT which had no HIN either on the hull or the inside label.



About the only labeling NDK gets consistently right on every boat I’ve seen is the Welsh dragon :wink:

so now the phrase
What Ho Pilgrim! is gonna have a whole new meaning… bettin’ Fat Elmo didn’t think a KAYAK

would be involved '-)


And then there was the Romany Explorer
Someone I know still refers to my Explorer LV as a Romany. Back around 2004, SKM did a review of the “Romany Explorer,” so maybe that explains it.



Are we having fun yet? :wink:

It has always been “Romany Explorer”

– Last Updated: Jul-31-09 10:50 AM EST –

Early model Explorers had "Romany" in bold on the chine and 'Explorer' in a global map design.

Sea Kayaker referred to the 17.5 foot boat as 'Romany Explorer' because that is the official name of the model. "The Romany Explorer was designed in 1993..." http://www.seakayakinguk.com/

Among my fav NDK quirks was when the length for the boat listed in official materials changed from 17'6" to 17'8" with no change to the boat. I've measured a few Explorers of varying vintage and they all measured 17'6". Sea Kayaker also measured the boat as 17'6". I've inquired, but no one has ever told me why the change in length listed.

Too funny

– Last Updated: Jul-30-09 2:02 PM EST –

I wondered about the 17'8" vs 17'6" thing.

Mine came labeled "Explorer", no LV anywhere. About a year later, I got the LV decals as an extra, courtesy of my dealer. Maybe somebody should put "Hemi" on theirs.

Celia would probably like the Pilgrim.

Trying to access one
Celia is trying to get to a Pilgrim to demo. Nigel wrote me that Tom might have one to demo but I didn’t hear back from Tom while in Maine. AKT doesn’t have one. We’re hoping one may appear at Downeast as Carpe Diem is a Nigel Dennis Centre.



BTW, Celia’s Explorer LV (c.2004)came through without the ‘LV’ on the chines. I wrote NDK and Simon Osborne was going to send them, but he returned to paddling before they got sent.