Hello I am tying to find any info I can on a pygmy queen charlotte xl. I am intrested in buying one of these kits but there is not enough info out there for me to make a decision. Any pictures or info would be great.
Bill
Tried Pygmy?
http://www.pygmyboats.com/mall/QCXLSPEC.asp
And if you give them a call they will answer any questions…
Pygmy qc xl pictures
I contacted pygmy about qcxl pictures but there are no more. I am tring to find someone who has more pictures. I would like to have a better idea of exactly how the boat looks. If I weighed a little less or had any experience at all with a kayak I would have already ordered the qc19 it looks great to me. I am hoping that the qcxl looks good also but cannot tell until I see more pictures.
Thank You ,
Bill
Owners
Did you ask Pygmy for the contact information for other folks who have built one? Most builders are happy to share information about their boats.
I found qc-xl pictures
I found some pictures online that I was looking for. I believe this is the boat I will build. I just need to be sure there ar not other boats that will work for my large size and lack of paddling skills.
Thank You,
Bill
what info do you need?
honestly what you can get from photos is limited, as are dimensions. It looks like a QC. It’s a big maneuverable kayak that will teach you to lean and turn a kayak in a normal fashion. If at some time you want to add a retractable skeg or rudder that option is always there. I wouldn’t bother trying to build it light, glass the exterior with 6oz with an extra layer of 4 or 6oz on the bottom. That’ll make it tough enough to slid onto rocks without too much worry. It may come out weighing 50-55lbs which is perfectly ok for a big guys boat that will get rough use. I made a Ch18 for kayak lessons that weighed close to 55lbs with recessed hatches and extra reinforcement to handle 300lb+paddlers. The QCXL will weathercock more but will be a better responding kayak in wind/waves. I’d suggest building it well and learning to go in a straight line with it and then at some point down the line adding a retractable skeg like the kind in most commercial kayaks. I think Mark Rogers (Arctic Hawk) is selling a skeg kit, otherwise a lot of folks out there have made up their own design.
A maneuverable kayak with a skeg tends to be more fun in a variety of conditions than a stiff tracking or unresponsive kayak with a rudder.