Should add Spike to that
he is head of design at Necky, Ocean, and Old Town and is a world renowned paddler and ex-olympic coach etc. Everything goes through Spike, and he definitely gave input on the Manitou (s).
I’m with you bro on the Necky
dry storage tops. I was also looking at the Sport but ruled it out based on how difficult those things were. They are a major PITA. I even told the rep that. They might be absolutely waterproof but they are just too much trouble. That’s a shame because I understand it is a great boat.
one bulkhead vs. two
So here is the down and dirty on these.
manitou 13 has one blukhead behind the seat.
Tsu in any model as two bulkheads fore and aft.
I would place the Manitou 13 in the rec. boat category.
The TSU line is considered transitional touring.
In the event of a capsize the Manitou 13 bow will fill with water and be more difficult yo self rescue. The Manitou 13 also has smooth bottom with a shallow V.
The TSU has a keel from Front to back with a squared stern. The 125 will act more like a 14’ boat. The hard chines on the TSU make for easier control. Plus The wilderness systems have the phase three seats.
I would rather have any Tsunami in rough water over the Manitou 13 any day. At least get the Manitou 14 with Fore and Aft bulkheads and a skeg. The manitou 14 is a transition touring unlike the 13 version. if you get the 13 put in flotation into the bow…
~s
Good point
But lets not forget that the Coaster was void of bulkheads and relied upon float bags, which was a Mariner strategy. As long as one has flotation things are fine. I will say that the Manitou hatch aft will not pop off. The neo, hard cover may not be as convenient, but it is a proven system. New Manitous will have a Select option which provides Thing Hooks.
As for rough water performance I’d highly recommend you take one out when it’s nasty. A lot of these little boats are actually very capable and fun. Good paddling.
notes on Manitou
I’ve been paddling a Manitou for a few months now (but it’s my first boat so my opinion may count for little). Here’s my comments:
- The boat came equipped with large ratchet style mechanisms at the fore end of the cockpit for adjusting seat back angle. I removed them and substituted 25 mm webbing and fastlock buckles to achieve a much lower profile. From what I can see at the Necky website, they still outfit the Manitouwith the same oversized ratchets.
- The bow does indeed contain flotation in the form of a large block of foam. It would be better if it were conical to maximize space rather than rectangular.
- The neoprene hatch cover is indeed a pain to get in place. Others have suggested sanding the hatch coaming to enhance gription.
- I’d like to install thigh hooks as per Salty’s suggestion above. But for my short (28" inseam) legs, I can’t see how to do this with minicell foam. It seems the thigh hooks should extend into the cockpit opening, but then the minicell foam would have nothing behind it, so to speak. Any pointers?
- Two minor points; The coaming is quite “edgy” for carrying the boat on one’s shoulder (at least compared to my wife’s Santa Cruze) so I padded it with 5 mm minicell. And the short length of bungee cord retaining the seat back to the rear of the cockpit gets in the way when trying to insert a 10 L dry bag behind the seat. So I’ll probably cut the cord and link it back together with a hook.
- I’d like to pick Salty’s brain about the benefits of back bands vs. seatbacks. It seems purists prefer the latter and I have paddled rental boats w/ back bands on multi-day trips. But I can’t see a big difference. Comments?
- I’ve paddled the Manitou on moderate rivers, very small creeks and a few lakes. We plan to take our boats to Sechelt Inlet (West Coast of B.C.) next summer and try them out on some mellow ocean waters. But I have to admit that I can’t offer any informed comments on the Manitou’s handling characteristics, since the boat’s greatest flaw seems to be the inexperienced blob in the seat. (Hopefully to be rectified by a flat-water course next weekend!)
My 2 Cents
I’ve had my Manitou for over 3 years now and still love it. Decent speed, excellent tracking, etc.
While on a visit, I had the Manitou out on Tampa Bay and in the Gulf. 2-3 foot seas. I’m a flat water lake paddler, so this was new to me. After about 5-10 minutes of “nerves”, Manitou handled superbly. Handled the chop and easily made progress against the wind. Never felt out of control.
Never tried the Tsunami, so can’t really compare.
Try a Cayuga
I was torn between the same two boats. Was leaning towards the necky and went to a demo. I tried the Cayuga 14.6 and ordered one the next day. Have used it in the Keys and rivers in Fl. and LOVE IT!! It is fast and stable.
Designed by the same design team