I am considering the purchase of a used Wilderness Systems Sealution 16.6, kevlar, aprox 10 yrs old. The reviews talk about how stable the boat is, but it is only 21 3/4" wide, so I wonder if it really can be all that stable. I have not paddled in several years. I had a Necky Narpa and a Dancer in the past. I am 55, 180 lbs, 5’11. Used to use the Necky for over night trips / camping. Would the Sealution be tippy? The other boat that I am considering, is a QCC 500 or 400.
Thanks for the help. Mark
Sealution
You’ll be fine. I have a fleet of boats and I take newbies out sometimes. It may sound weird, but one of the most reassuring boats I have is LESS than 20" wide. There are other factors than width overall that determine primary stability. A Kevlar boat is a good investment. They’re tough and light; and though the Sealution is an outdated design, it’s not a bad boat so it’ll always be worth something.
stability
Stability is usually misunderstood. If by “stable” you mean it doesn’t move much side to side when you paddle then you need to rethink. There are very stable boats that move a lot side to side. They are actually the best boats to be in if conditions get bad. It takes some experience to trust that but I say with confidence that you are better off. You are my weight and size. If you decide to go with a QCC boat, go with the QCC700X.
qcc
I have a 500 and I’m way bigger. 6’1" 225 and it is kinda too big for me. I wish it was just an inch narrower and an inch shorter. I like it because it holds a ton of gear and gets better under weight. It is very stable however and really pretty fast. The 700 would be better but it is big. If you want a boat to just paddle around and camp one nighters, the 400 may be fine.
Ryan L.