Hi,
Anyone own or paddled one of these? Looking at buying a new kayak for mainly rivers, creeks, lakes and estuaries. With the option to do some open sea down the track. The one I’m looking at is also rudder equipped.
Just wanted general observations on its performance, how it tracks, turns and hull speed.
Thanks heaps!
Are you talking about this kayak? That kayak sure doesn’t need a rudder. in fact that would be a really bad idea on that kayak.
Looks like a nice design but I agree about the rudder. I would remove it (as I have done on all my ruddered boats.) It would just get in the way of the performance.
When I searched for the boat, I found this: a Nigel Foster design which has a skeg, not a rudder. https://www.kayaksonline.net/kayaks/sea/polyethylene/point-65n-whiskey-16-3l-sea-kayak
https://www.rapidmedia.com/adventurekayak/categories/5232-boat-review-the-whiskey-16-by-point-65
I should have weighed in sooner… Probably Nigel Foster boat if composite. The Whiskey normally comes with a skeg and I can’t see why anyone would add a rudder unless this was a custom order. Works fine with the skeg.
Pretty maneuverable, not a turtle but not fast either. If it is the boat that Rookie has above and I am thinking of, see if you can find out the manufacturer. Foster has his boats made by a various companies and year to year not always the same.
Thanks all,
Celia, It’s made by point 65 north, there are two poly versions, the rocker and the tourer. The tourer comes equipped with a rudder as standard in Australia and both have skegs. The tourer (which is the only one available here) has less of a rocker.
Has anyone paddled one?
Thanks again,
Pete
@Punterpete said:
Thanks all,Celia, It’s made by point 65 north, there are two poly versions, the rocker and the tourer. The tourer comes equipped with a rudder as standard in Australia and both have skegs. The tourer (which is the only one available here) has less of a rocker.
Has anyone paddled one?Thanks again,
Pete
There’s a few old reviews here. https://paddling.com/reviews/product/point-65-sweden-whisky-16-kayak/
I and my husband paddled a composite version that is more like the one not for sale here. I can see why Aussies would also want a rudder, more a comment on their conditions than the boat.
It was a solid boat that, for some, depending on the preferences of the paddler, could have stood taming on its maneuverability in messier stuff.
It’ll do everything you want, get you onto salt, and fits an average sized male paddler fine. Comes down to price (should not be too high, poly and an older boat) and condition (have the working parts been beat to %hit).
Hi Celia,
It will be brand new from a shop. The price is $1800 Au so about $1300 US. I believe the poly versions were new as of last year and the tourer version ( with less rocker) is new too? I am stuck in a vortex of indecision between three quite different boats. The whiskey poly tourer, a poly Riot Edge 14.5 and a Prijon Catalina. I am a gear freak by nature but it is doing my head in trying to come to a decision :).
Of the three boats, the Whiskey will do the best job of taking care of you for salt water touring. You will find the other two not “it” if you decide that is is where you most want to be. Perhaps buy for your highest paddling risk. My husband and I started out one level of boat under, and it took the 5th time out on salt water for us to realize we had to get better suited boats.
Don’t overthink this. Yes, I know this is hard – I used to be an obsessive gear freak as well in my younger days. But I learned over time that my best choices, ironically, turned out to be the ones that I made with the least obsessing. Bought my beloved Easky on impulse when I stopped in to my local outfitter to get some minor item for the existing boat fleet. It was on display, on sale and my favorite color. Otherwise I knew little or nothing about it. Turned out to be a perfect boat. My first kayak was the one I obsessed about longest and spent the most on. I had fun with it but outgrew its capacity within 5 years and sold it to upgrade to something faster and more nimble. Sold it for a good price ($1800 and it cost $3000 new) so it really only cost me about $200 per year to “lease” (see second paragraph.)
As noted above, I now view all kayak purchases as “leases”. I often keep a boat for years then eventually decide I want something with slightly different features and handling (which you can only determine after many hours of use in varying conditions) and then I sell for a good percentage of what I paid for the boat, in some cases for even more than I paid. So no purchase is irrevocable or permanent.
And any of those kayaks you have located would probably be great, though I tend to agree with Celia that the Point 65 gives you the most latitude in expanding your skill and locations. It looks like a really excellent, and fun, boat.
Thanks both of you. I’m a ultralight bushwalker and Canyoner, have been a rocklimber, backcountry skiier and until recently a road cyclist. I have had to give up the cycling because of an eye condition. All of these hobbies invoke fancy gear freakable equipment. I weirdly gain some pleasure from gearfreaking and am prone to analysis paralysis. Not a good combo…
I’m pretty sure I’m going to end up with the point65. Willowleaf, your comments on leasing make a lot of sense and the point 65 is quite different from my current boat.
I’ll let you know what I end up with.
Well, I tried the Prijon Catalina today and it’s crossed off the list. Nice boat but just too snug for me, even with the thought braces removed. Plus the rear neoprene hatch cover was a beast to put on.
Just ordered the Whiskey 16 3L tourer in red! Now I have to wait 3 weeks to get it…
Congrats!
I could of got it straight away in yellow but it’s my least favourite colour.
Yellow is a bad choice for any outdoor gear IMHO – though it is good for visibility I have found it is the hue most likely to attract bothersome insects. I replaced the yellow deck on my first Pakboat with a red one, but unfortunately my newer Pakboat Quest only came in yellow and looks like a giant banana (which is why I named her “Chiquita”). .
I’ve had 5 red kayaks, 2 each of blue and green, one raspberry pink, one white, one orange and one yellow. Have to say red and green are my favorites.
I like red and blue. I would have grabbed blue if available but red is my second favourite so happy chappy.
Yellow attracts bees and wasps. Reason I don’t get yellow drysuit.