Yep, high volume day boat is it for me.
After 5 years of poly boats, I’m ready
to upgrade. Scratches in exchange for smooth lines and regidity, I’ll take that deal…not too sure about leaking hatches though. Not for $2,000.
I got all that from my telephone call
and from the website. They never mentioned scratching or leaking hatches. I understand the scratches, but leaking hatches? I don’t know how honest it was to conceal a known defect.
Hatches
1. Over the years I’ve paddled dozens and dozens of kayaks. After a rolling or rescue session, the vast majority of those kayaks would, upon inspection, reveal at least small amount of water (1-2 cups) in the hatches. This is not necessarily a defect, just a fact of life. If not taking on a few ounces of water is that vital to you, go with a hatchless design!
2. With the vast majority of paddlers and typcial use of their kayaks (upright and in moderate conditions), this is not an issue to be concerned with at all. What type of paddler are you?
3. QCC has redesigned the hatches on the Q600 and Q700 within the last 18 months. Some / most of the comments above may be from folks who have the earlier hatch design.
4. References to “scratches” and to a somewhat lesser extent, leaky hatches, is an inside joke here. Don’t take it too seriously.
–Q700 open water paddler
Troll NM
Unless you weigh over 275 or…
… need to haul insane amounts of cargo - or mainly want a platform for bird watching or something - I’d recommend the 700. Maybe a little more learning curve if coming from really wide rec kayaks, but worth it (and saves a really likely upgrade later).
Your really over-reading
I have the older original hatches - so won’t comment on how the newer ones work - but the old ones got the same complaint. I roll a lot, and paddle in waves that bury the hatches, and get little if any.
Re-read the posts - and consider if a pint after a long day on the water (while taking waves and/or inverting) really means anything.
Also consider what you’ll be doing. Will you be on the ocean/large lakes and/or rolling a lot like some of us do? If not - you’ll have zero issues, if so - really minor.
Certainly not a big problem.
Would it be nice if they just went to KayakSport type hatches? Yes, for me anyway as I don’t use the hatches much and would like the simpler dries type. Most others would likely opt to keep the QCC hatches as you can stow things in a QCC that can be a pain to pack through some others’ hatches.
What’s your real agenda here?
You get across the board positives from owners, and a couple inside jokes about “scratches”, and determine a QCC would be a costly mistake?
Doesn’t add up. You’re just fishing for negatives, not finding anything significant, and so resorting to blowing up minor BS it a deal breaker.
I smell a rat. Pygmy is a fine company with some very nice kit designs. I’ve paddled a couple and thought them quite good - and if they fit your needs that’s fine - but they’re not on the level of the QCCs in terms of design or quality (even with top notch builders doing expert layups).
BTW - Pygmy’s scratch and their hatches leak too (unless you build with KayakSport or VCP hatches - that seal better - but also aren’t always leak-proof).
He’s not a troll.
I can vouch that Weekday Paddler is indeed a real person who regularly paddles a major river here in the Northeast.
And if I’m right, his “agenda” only has to do with whether or not to pony-up big bucks for an upgrade from what he currently paddles. Unfortunately, no boat is 100% faultless in the “guarantees” department. And when making a money-based purchase decision, no one can totally hedge their bets.
Myself, I wouldn’t write-off QCC based on any (positive or negative) user comments made here. Try before you BUILD. You might be pleasantly surprised…Am I right, Dennis?
Hatches
– Last Updated: Aug-31-08 1:36 PM EST –
I don't know any experienced paddler who expects their hatches to keep their gear completely dry if they're doing extensive rolling/surfing/taking waves over the deck. It's nice when it happens, but if you've got stuff you need to keep dry it should go in a drybag.
If you check the builder's forums, you'll find that Pygmy builders rarely have leakproof hatches either. Varnish scratches more easily than gelcoat.
For the record, I like Pygmy boats, and I've got a boat with VCP hatches. Nothing is perfect.
He might not be a troll
but his official reasons for not chosing a QCC are bs.
- QCCs do not scratch any easier than any other fiberglass boat. The bottom of my Nordkapp is there to prove that.
- Any kayak not equipped with Valley or other rubber hatches DO leak. A lot of paddlers don’t even know beacuse they do not roll or paddle in big waves. Keep a QCC away from those conditions and those compartments will stay bone dry.
Bottom line going Pygmy is not an improvement on the 2 “problems” that came out from this post.
Unless I’ve missed it
– Last Updated: Aug-31-08 3:06 PM EST –
no one has yet suggested your calling/e-mailing QCC to get the name of a QCC owner in your area so that you might at least see and hopefully paddle, a QCC.
Coming by the Potsdam, NY area? We have in our boathouse a QCC 700X (2007) and a QCC400X (2006) with latest Feathercraft rudders. Two different QCC hatch designs - 400X is older version.
You can paddle both boats right across the street from our house. But please be careful that you don't scratch the boats as paddle them from our house, across the street to the water.
By the way, both my Prijon Kodiak and my Enlightened Kayaks T-16 leak too if enough water comes over the boat - and each of those boats has a different hatch design.
My 2 cents: if you spend your time searching for the perfect boat, it going to seriously cut into your time on the water.
Jack L, I too had a Perception Eclipse that never leaked a drop - though it paddled like a barge in retrospect.
MikeT
I’ll second that
I second Mike’s suggestion to call QCC. I did that this summer because I was interested in a 600X. I sent an email inquiry to QCC and I got a quick reply with the name of someone local who owns one.
I sent an inquiry to the owner and got a quick and enthusiastic reply. We met and I had the opportunity to paddle the 600X for an hour or so - a good test drive.
I ended up buying a different boat (Eddyline Fathom) but it took me a while to decide.
I highly recommend contacting QCC for a referral. You won’t be sorry!
If you are going to "try Pigmy"
over a QCC, then you will be definately making a costly mistake.
cheers,
JackL
Read it for yourself
We have had three of them in the family; A 700, 600 and the new baby one and they all have had their hatches leak, and just about everyone that I know that has one also has leaky hatches.
A BAD BOAT IS A BAD BOAT
Thanks Bob. I’ve been on pnet over
– Last Updated: Aug-31-08 9:14 PM EST –
4 years almost everyday and many times several times a day. Its laughable that I'm a "Troll"
I've paddled with Duckheads, found local paddlers here purchased and sold boats here and even had the greatest paddle of my life with someone from here when we went down the Delaware River in April, a foot below flood stage...awesome! I even met someone from Junior High School on pnet.
QCC sounds too good to be true and I'm learning from other significant posters on Pnet that it is too good to be true. Leaking hatches, when its an known problem, especially when there's a known fix is not honesty, its deception.
Let's not go through life with our heads in the sand.
I have a Prijon, hatch leaks and falls
off doing a cowboy reentry.
Mike T, thanks for the offer. I’ll
Google your location and plan a trip if the distance is reasonable. This is an awesome offer…Thank You!
Please let me know
what is the “known fix” for leaky hatches, especially for QCC boats.
Thanks in advance.
MikeT