Pamilico 140

A friend is looking at a Pamlico 140 as an entry level rec yak. It would be used on lakes and mild rivers up to low class II at the most. Maybe also a little use on protected Texas coastal bays. This person is middle aged and weighs about 220 so the large cockpit and stability look appealing. Any drawbacks or other comments/tips would be appreciated.

I Had One
Great boat for fishing around paddling around relatively calm water. Have him move the seat to find the sweet spot for his weight. Then fill in as much as front and the back with floatation bags. The pamilico is a bear to rescue and swim to shore when filled with water. Forget about any kind of self rescue without the floatation bags in place.



sing

The boat definitely fits the bill.
The bow is cavernous, and really deserves a bulkhead and hatch, though it’s not designed for it. My only real concern was the foot room. My 10.5W’s needed a bit more space.



Jim

Room for a bag up front
That is one thing I noticed about this particular boat he’s looking at. It had a bulkhead in the rear, and becuase of its length had room for a bag up front of the foot pegs. This guy is 5’6".



Being more of a canoe guy, the bigness and openness of it looks good, but I hear you on trying to get water out of a rec yak. Both my daughters have them, and the first time we tried to empty one I nearly threw my back out. Brute force and ignorance won’t cut it.



Thanks for the views.

Look at the Old Town Dirigo too
They have better plastic hulls (stiffer, thicker) and a really nice seat, I found it more comfortable than the Phase 3 Lite that the new Pamlicos come with. They also have the large cockpit (49" long). I have not paddled it yet, but the hull is similar to the Loons.

I am young, and it still hurts
I had a 12 rec yak, first time out I swamped it (nasty pond in a horse field on the farm I used to live on, I felt the water on me even after the shower). I am in my mid 20s and am reasonably fit, pulling that dag-gone thing to shore was hard, and took some work to flip it to empty. after that I did everything in my power to stay upright. haven’t gone for a swim since.

Look at the Pungo 140. Very roomy
but faster than the Pamlico.

well
Its a bit of a Slug and a choir to paddle, have him check the Tarpon 160 while he’s at it… It can handle the aforementioned requirements even easier then the Pamlico.

Need for speed
Thanks for that input. Don’t want too fast a boat or it’ll be outrunning my canoe :-).



Seriously, we have a line on a used Pamlico 140 that is in good condition so that is a big factor in selection.



Got to see some longer Pungo’s in action a year and a bit ago and thought they looked great for this kind of use. Someone suggested that they didn’t turn quite as easily as the Pamlico which might be a facter in river use.