@PaddleDog52 said:
300 for that kayak near 600 in parts and then my free labor. Came out nice but almost not a bargain easier to buy good used one like my HV Extreme. I wanted a Nomad / Extreme without spending over 4 grand so I guess it was still worth it for me. I did learn a lot about kayak restoration and rigging them up.
It did come out really nice. thanks for the pictures. i see what you mean ----buy a good used kayak.
PaddleDog52, What do you think about this kayak?
https://chautauqua.craigslist.org/boa/d/english-fiberglass-sea-kayak/6299331883.html
the person has been steadily dropping the price. looks ok from the pics. a little concerned that it is a 1991. but for 629?? thanks, michael
@PaddleDog52 said:
Not sure but looking at .NDK the seat looks to not be original or recovered. Others here may know better. Like I said before if you like a boat at 1000 offer 800 nothing to lose. Looks in decent shape. Hatches are important as Celia said if you’re packing gear. Patience
No clue on that brand. I did see it. I was seeing what’s in your area. Probably for 600 you could get newer. You would probably want newer foot rest, rigging, possibility seat. May be Celia knows the brand. Glass should be fine. Saw a Lone Star boat two days ago. I guessed the year 1966 it was a 65 looked great. If you like it offer 450 it is a 1991 you could go 500 wave cash. Selling it now will be tough soon. 57 is tad heavy but even new Brit boats are that now.
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Paddledog52: I did notice a CD Solstice GT for sale for 700-800$ (https://rochester.craigslist.org/boa/d/current-design-solstice-gt/6282122629.html). Compared to the Nordkapp I was just asking about, this seems like a better way to go because the Nordkapp is much older…? thanks, michael
@PaddleDog52 said:
Solstice GT HV? What year? HV has 3/4" higher hull. 6’ 160 lb. would be way big on you. I have GT not HV 6’ 220 LB. fits nice. You need a Solstice GTS. 22" wide. Last two digits of HIN back of hull is the year.
Hi Celia - looking at 2 kayaks with in 2-3 hrs of me. Would you happen to have any knowledge or opinions on a Valley Nordkapp (HM, fiberglass, 57#s, 1991, $629, no repairs only scratches) https://chautauqua.craigslist.org/boa/d/english-fiberglass-sea-kayak/6299331883.html
or a Current Designs Solstice GT (fiberglass, 54#s, 2001, $725) https://rochester.craigslist.org/boa/d/current-design-solstice-gt/6282122629.html
thank you - michael
@Celia said:
@michaeljp One more thing re the Explorer - from your dimensions, you are taller than you are heavy. That is on the lean side. So cockpit width can matter but how much depends on how much the thigh braces reach in from the inner edge of the cockpit. Some makers have them as a real obvious jut out from the coaming, thus narrowing the distance to reach them side to side from the stated cockpit dimensions. Other kayak manufacturers seem to have forgotten altogether that those things are useful. One of the things that is typical of the NDK boats from the era of the Explorer designs is very enunciated thigh braces. They are flat, no hooking down or being confining, but compared to the almost nonexistent thigh braces of many other boats of that era they are very accessible and usable.
Thanks. Still be patient…? like you said, that “dream boat” could come up…? but at 500$? I just spoke with the owner. he said there are no repairs just a lot of scratches on the bottom, tracks well, but it is heavy that is the main reason for selling. I like the idea of no skeg or rudder just a good simple kayak. the hull is called a modified hull so it has it’s own “keel” so to speak. > @PaddleDog52 said:
No clue on that brand. I did see it. I was seeing what’s in your area. Probably for 600 you could get newer. You would probably want newer foot rest, rigging, possibility seat. May be Celia knows the brand. Glass should be fine. Saw a Lone Star boat two days ago. I guessed the year 1966 it was a 65 looked great. If you like it offer 450 it is a 1991 you could go 500 wave cash. Selling it now will be tough soon. 57 is tad heavy but even new Brit boats are that now.
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There are many different hulls as the Nordkapp evolved. The HM stern is obviously something of a fixed skeg. I have heard (but have no direct evidence) that the HM has a tendency to leecock, a bad feature. Anybody know something more definitive on this?
Found more:
From Mike Buckley’s article “Valley Nordkapp: The Life and Times of a classic British sea kayak”
[After the Nordkapp expedition a skeg was permanently moulded to the hull, this being intended to solve the boat’s tendancy to weathercock". That worked, but produced a boat which had to be put right over on edge to get it to turn as it then tracked like a train. In really strong winds, it had a tendency to leecock and this is a consistent comment from many paddlers, of which more will be found later in the article. It’s not known exactly when the HM hull was first produced, but p13 of the 1977 Cape Horn Expedition Report shows a line drawing of an HM hull.]
Is Nick Crowhurst on this forum? He could comment.
@michaeljp said:
Thanks. Still be patient…? like you said, that “dream boat” could come up…? but at 500$? I just spoke with the owner. he said there are no repairs just a lot of scratches on the bottom, tracks well, but it is heavy that is the main reason for selling. I like the idea of no skeg or rudder just a good simple kayak. the hull is called a modified hull so it has it’s own “keel” so to speak. > @PaddleDog52 said:No clue on that brand. I did see it. I was seeing what’s in your area. Probably for 600 you could get newer. You would probably want newer foot rest, rigging, possibility seat. May be Celia knows the brand. Glass should be fine. Saw a Lone Star boat two days ago. I guessed the year 1966 it was a 65 looked great. If you like it offer 450 it is a 1991 you could go 500 wave cash. Selling it now will be tough soon. 57 is tad heavy but even new Brit boats are that now.
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NDK & NC kayaks have no rudder or skeg. I have one skeg in fleet a eddyline journey. Does help to pop up skeg to turn.
On a You Tube video on the Valley Nordkapp LV (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXilcmGCLxk). It was mentioned that the newer LV version was made to address the older Nordkapp’s issue with the boat being to high in the water with no travel load (to me I intend to use the boat mostly unloaded and I weigh only 160…)> @rsevenic said:
Found more:
From Mike Buckley’s article “Valley Nordkapp: The Life and Times of a classic British sea kayak”
[After the Nordkapp expedition a skeg was permanently moulded to the hull, this being intended to solve the boat’s tendancy to weathercock". That worked, but produced a boat which had to be put right over on edge to get it to turn as it then tracked like a train. In really strong winds, it had a tendency to leecock and this is a consistent comment from many paddlers, of which more will be found later in the article. It’s not known exactly when the HM hull was first produced, but p13 of the 1977 Cape Horn Expedition Report shows a line drawing of an HM hull.]Is Nick Crowhurst on this forum? He could comment.
@PaddleDog52 said:
NDK & NC kayaks have no rudder or skeg. I have one skeg in fleet a eddyline journey. Does help to pop up skeg to turn.
NDK boats often have skegs.
You can get them most I see have none. Even the 22’ Triton tandem had no rudder but it is an option.
Certainly I don’t know the relative numbers of skeg vs non skeg NDK boats. The early models had rope skegs, now supplanted by wire skegs (SKUK as current vendor). The skeg is listed as standard. Both NDK boats I’ve had were skeg boats. My Explorer rarely needs the skeg. I’ve heard the same of the Romany, but mine seemed to need some skeg more frequently. I can see some choosing the option to have no skeg, but I’d rather have it and not use it than need it and not have it.
@michaeljp
Sorry, been out in a boat today. Just catching up.
To handle a couple of basics - NO NDK boats except maybe a tandem if they ever made one have ever had rudders. Rudders are mostly an American continent and some other manufacturers - like Kayak Sport - thing. Older ones had rope skegs, some people hated the rope skegs and preferred cable/wire skegs, I have both between my boats and don’t have much bad to say about either.
That is not to say you will never see a photo of an NDK boat with an add-on rudder. Kayak Sport made some that could be creatively fit onto a variety of boats, and when you are doing far more serious expedition paddling than most of us it is not uncommon to see a boat fitted out with boath a skeg and rudder. But we are talking about long, often multi-week trips.
As to the two boats you mention - a post above has it right on the Nordkapp HM. It is stiff in the water and you will have to take it over on edge to turn it. As much as new paddlers tend to like boats that track well, they also find themselves stressed if they are out on a windy day and have to argue with the boat to get it to turn home. The Nordkapp HM is also within their full out touring designs - it really does not behave at its best unless it is carrying a decent load. I know one person who had a string of weights that he put into his boat (it wasn’t a Nordie but similar issues) for each paddle to get it down in the water right for day paddling. He was OK with that accommodation, others may not be.
The NordKapp LV turns much more easily and will behave as usual with a day paddle type load. I have my husband’s that I hope to make my local paddling boat this coming season after I have some winter pool time. But that is because I will need to get my roll back on both sides to paddle it. The Nordkapp LV is sweet and slick thru the water, rolls like a dream, but is relatively unfazed by whether it is upright or upside down. The boat is happy all the way thru 360 degrees. New paddlers usually have a strong preference for the upper 120 degrees of that.
But honestly, lack of a day hatch and rudder and all, you may have a score with the Current Designs Solstice GT. Confirm the rudder is working OK but it probably is fine, CD rudder assemblies tend to age well. My first sea kayak was a Squall, a smallish cousin but in the Solstice line. All the Solstice series boats have a general tendency to be relatively fast thru the water and have pretty strong secondary stability. Translation, where the really rolly boats like the Nordkapp LV will keep going when you are off balance, the Solstice boats will stop before capsize. It is a tracker and will require some convincing to turn in a lot of wind, but it has a rudder if you need to punt to that and is not so argumentative about it that you can’t impose your own opinion. The have ridiculous storage capacity for their apparent size, you can load those boats to the gills. It’ll feel like you are paddling a Mac truck, takes a bit to get speed initiated, but it is kind of nice to feel less limited on what you can carry.
What I am saying is that these are great boats to get you on the water and back home again, and when you start out those are fairly important.
I suspect it is actually 17 ft and a few inches, but if you can handle 17 ft you can manage a slight overshoot of that.
Celia don’t you think a Solstice GT HV would be to big at 160 lb. 6’ tall? GTS would be better fit no?
@paddledog52, @michaeljp
Yes, the HV would be too big. But the red one pictured in this link (https://rochester.craigslist.org/boa/d/current-design-solstice-gt/6282122629.html) is described as a regular GT, no HV listed. Michael, slash my support if it is the HV, PaddleDog52 is right. But are there two or one Solstices that you are referring to in posts above?
GTS would be a good fit, yes.
I think his original Solstice post was HV model. Combing and seat needs a better picture. 725 I bet 650 would take it or even a bit less. Probably needs a few items but doesn’t look bad and I love my Solstice. All parts and rigging are easily obtainable from CD just if you are really interested get a bunch of closer pictures. I would ask for hatch seals, seat area, rudder, and hatch straps. It probably has the Yakima sliding pedals unless he changed them which suck for me but they are usable and could be swapped over the winter. I have done all four of my CD boats. Also a good boat for resale as it is popular and suits many.
Yes. While my second boat was specifically chosen to get the Greenland/Brit features over the North American style ones, my Squall was a very good boat that did her job for me quite wonderfully. It went down the river to a new home, to someone who was also a newer paddler and needed something solid to get started. I did finally master a one out of three times roll in it, though my percentages went up immediately when I got the NDK boat. But the Solstice series is a design ethic that deserves respect. And as mentioned, the company is still around so it is not too bad to get parts. This would not be true of many other boats.
Every part is available with good service and reasonable prices.
Celai - Hope you had a nice day on the water. The original post was for a CD Solstice GTHV and this newer post is for a plain GT. I have taken PaddleDog’s advice about the GTS being a better fit (maybe keep open to finding one). Thank you for your comments and guidance about both kayaks (NDK HM and Solstice GT). You really seem to confirm my hesitancy concerning the Valley NDK HM especially needing and traveling better with a heavier load - which is not my immediate intent - and because I am relatively lite (the owner is 220#s). The CD Solstice kayak seller has not returned my email and the location is about 4 hrs (which is a pretty far to travel) - so, I don’t think “it’s” going in my direction. I am going to let that NDK go. Thank you Paddledog and Celia - Michael
@Celia said:
@paddledog52, @michaeljp
Yes, the HV would be too big. But the red one pictured in this link (https://rochester.craigslist.org/boa/d/current-design-solstice-gt/6282122629.html) is described as a regular GT, no HV listed. Michael, slash my support if it is the HV, PaddleDog52 is right. But are there two or one Solstices that you are referring to in posts above?GTS would be a good fit, yes.
