I thought I’d update folks on my final choice for a new boat. All of you have been great in helping me look at different options. The winner is an Eddyline Caribbean 14 in the new 2017 red over silver color combo with a factory installed rudder.
To recap, since I’ve had a couple threads going on kayaks & canoes… I have a Necky Vector 13 SOT that I’ve paddled for 1.5 summers. I use a SOT and not a SINK because of a disabled leg & knee that doesn’t bend more than 90 degrees. The SOT is much easier for entry & exit for me. I was looking for a longer, lighter, and hopefully a little faster boat that would hold a week’s worth of camping gear. I investigated pack canoes & talked at length with the folks at Swift, and Placid Boatworks. I almost snagged a great deal on a lightly used PBW Rapidfire, but was a day late. I also thought long & hard about a Swift Keewaydin 14. I test paddled a friend’s solo canoe, then did a lot of thinking. In the end I decided to stick with a SOT kayak. A kayak just fits my needs better. I did more emailing to Eddyline about their Caribbean 14 SOT and a very kind forum member emailed me some info & pictures of their Caribbean 14 so I could get a good look at the cargo areas on the kayak. I’ve read lots of reviews and talked with several kayak shops around the country who carry the Caribbean 14 to get their thoughts. I saved up some money & pulled the trigger today.
Thanks again to everyone who gave me information and things to think about along the way. I especially enjoyed learning about the pack canoes. If I lived back east, those boats might have won my vote. A sub 30 pound canoe sure sounded sweet. But I’m getting a longer, faster kayak with a rudder that weighs about 10 pounds lighter than my current kayak. My Necky will become my loaner kayak, and I’ll still probably use it for shallow, rocky river trips when I don’t want to beat up the Eddyline.
Congratulations
your first boat is seldom your last boat
Your second boat is seldom your last boat
Enjoy the ride
Congratulations!
Disclaimer: I own two Eddylines so of course I think you chose well.
Love the red pearl color; that’s the color of my first EDY, purchased used. It was built in 2008 and still looks great.
Eddyline’s Carbonlite 2000 is pretty tough. Scuffs and scratches buff out nicely with a magic eraser.
Wishing you many happy miles and experiences in your new boat!
Thank you for letting us know.
And Happy Paddling!
It’s here! I picked it up from the shipping company this morning. Arrived in perfect condition. The red pearl over silver is really sharp looking. It’s hard to tell from pictures, but the red is slightly more of a rusty red than a bright red. Awesome color. This is my first time with a rudder, and hooking it up was pretty straight forward. At least I’m hoping I did it right. I’ve already done a little “practice packing” to see how my camping gear fits. There’s definitely more room and better in-hull access than my other kayak. We have finally changed over from a prolonged indian summer with temps in the 70s last week to fall this week in Utah. Got our first snow Wednesday night. I might have to throw on my wet suit, paddle pants & paddle jacket and take it for a test drive??? I’ll see if I can get some pictures posted.