The lines are functional
A bit too funtiona for some. If you appreciate the function, you’ll appreciate the lines. Paddle one (a 600 or 700 please, the others are inherited Swifts) and you’ll get it.
I like the lines, but I also like the very different lines on the VCP Pintail my 700’s nested up against. Again, because I understand the decisions and trade offs and what those looks mean. I like most surf ski’s functional looks to - and REALLY like the lines of many Greenland SOFs.
I don’t like the lines on rec boats or most SOTs. Those lines don’t translate into what I want my boats to do.
Even if you only judge superficially on what you think is more attractive, you are attracted to certain things for a reason. You brain is making a comparative analysis based on something that results in a judgement. You may not be consciously aware of what or why, and your reasons may be based on relative or obscure things, but it’s there.
I think you misspelled…
“LOKI” and typed LOL.
As A QCC Owner…
I was interested in your post. Yes, beauty is cerainly in the eyes of the beholder. I have only had my two boats for about six months now, so we, (the boats and I), are still getting aquainted. My experiences so far re-inforce your thoughts. We have many people stop and comment possitively on our boats, (including their looks). A good example of our experiences in this respect was had at a recent roll class that we attended. There were about a dozen people ohinn and ahing around our boats while waiting for the class to start. There was also a guy with a brand new Carribou, (one of my favorites), who expressed his opinion about the basic and bland look of our boats. He went on to say that the boats would not perform.
I am an engineer, (an older engineer). I have learned to appreciate simple designs without a bunch of non-functional frills. I guess I am a follower of the old saying “form follows function”. I see beauty in a simple design that functions. I think John Winters got it right with the 600 and 700. On the other hand I fully understand and appreciate that many others disagree and I beleive that is great.
Happy paddling,
Mark
That is the one thing…
my wife and I hate about those seal line rudders- the way they stick up in the air.
We are the type paddlers that cannot resist exploring every cove we can find, and then going up the feeder creek as far as we can go.
When we reach the end and have to turn around it is inevitable that the rudder will get caught in the bushes or reeds, where on our old kayaks where the rudder laid over on the deck there was no problem.
Cheers,
JackL
I think also if you take a good…
…look at the yachts that have competed in the Americas cup races you will note a remarkable resemblence to the QCC. on many of them.
I think the ones with the QCC style bow, as a rule have out performed the long pointy bow boats and look just as beautiful as they cut through the water.
Cheers,
JackL
I’m sure
Russell Coutts paddles a QCC 
no doubt about the performance
For going straight and going fast in a kayak, a QCC does it better than anyone else. That hull design, long water line, and minimal rocker just screams that. Of course to me, that screams boring as I love playful kayaks that dance in the waves, but to others it is exactly what they are looking for. If I ever got serious about kayak racing, a QCC would be high on my list of boats (despite being butt ugly ). 
I don’t get that
I just got my QCC and the first thought I had was “It’d be a shame to ‘use’ this” I kind of wanted to just hang it from the wall. Many of the boats you list look similar to me.
http://www.touringkayaks.com/qcc_kayaks.htm
The photo on that page looks pretty good to me.
http://www.touringkayaks.com/q700paddle_photos2.htm
and those.
The Caribou doesn’t look much different to me
http://www.cdkayak.com/cdkayak/kayaks/comps/caribous.asp
or the Carolina
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47883885&parent_category_rn=4501491
and that solid color look screams “bath toy” in my eyes.
I can understand if you like the look of another kayak. But I can’t fathom getting away with labeling a QCC as "butt ugly.”
In my opinion when you’re actually in the water, and conceivably in your boat, the decks are much akin to the other.
Then again, perhaps I just haven’t been around long enough.
pretty kayaks…
Valley Anas Acuta http://www.valleyseakayaks.com/Greenland.htm
Betsie Bay Kayak
http://www.bbkayak.com/Recluse1.html
Impex Outer Island
http://www.impexkayak.com/outer_island.html
NDK Romany Explorer LV
http://www.nigeldenniskayaks.com/range/low_volume.shtml
Valley Avocet
http://www.valleyseakayaks.com/Contemporary.htm
I’m partial to low volume Greenland/British style kayaks as I think they have beautiful lines and look really elegant on the water. The Carolina definitely is not a very good looking kayak and the Caribou is ok but not great from a personal preference standpoint.
Rocker? Do you actually know…
… how much rocker a QCC has? You might be surprised. If you want to see boat with a steep bow angle and little rocker check out the EPIC 18 - it has about zero. The Q700 is a banana in comparison.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/203840239/203840782BUjVIP
http://community.webshots.com/photo/203840801/203840801AHaTJO
http://community.webshots.com/photo/203840827/203840827CecrXj
More hard core racers would be happier with the EPIC. It’s a detuned race boat that’s a decent touring boat too. 700 is a more all arounder made for efficient touring that just happens to be pretty quick. Really quite different.
This front view should be helpful to racers trying to decide. Pretty obvious which was design for more pure speed:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/203840239/203840955NTWyhS
But getting back to rocker: A lot of pointy end fanatics mistake fine upswept ends for rocker, but it’s a very different thing. QCC give the appearance of being flatter than they are. Pointy boats look more rockered than they are. Don’t believe it. Some of the pointy boats have pretty flat keels.
I should take my 700 and Kim’s Pintail (famous for being highly rockered, but is it?) out on the patio and take some measurements and pictures so people would understand. I’d be wasting my time though as some people will insist on keeping silly ideas like all Brit boats are well rockered and all boats that have less angle bows are not.
As for rough water play - sure, go short - but only for surf zone and rock garden play. For open water wave running and cutting through chop and slop that extra LWL translates into usable speed and a much more fun ride. 700 catches energy and flies over stuff something like the Pintail wallows in. Maybe if I took pictures of the 700 next to the Mark 1 surf ski it would become apparent why.
Fun? They’re all fun!
I agree that…
... Jim's QCC is ugly!
Give it at least a hint of deck color, get rid of that peppermint stick red trim, and remove that silly appendage from the stern and they start to look pretty good! ;)
The only really ugly thing I see in that shot are those paddles! Just poles with stuff stuck on the ends.
I would like to see you do that
because unless the respective website pictures of the boats are hopelessly distorted (always a possibility, as we’ve discussed before), the two are not even close in that respect.
Mike
It’s fun reading this thread…
I've got to admit my very first comment regarding QCC's were "it looks like a shallow canoe with a deck!"
Then I paddled one!!
I've since owned a 500 and now a 700.
As your paddling skills evolve, you develop a finer sense of how function follows form. Then you can appreciate just how nice they look!
Tripp
Loki…
I had to look up that one …
QCC Rudder vs Skeg
JackL - That’s what I figured would happen with the upright rudder in swamps, creeks, etc. Does anyone have any experience with the QCC skeg?
I have the skeg
and I like it. completely out of the way when you don’t need it and works great when you do. I probably could have done without it but there are times when you have a following sea it makes a big difference in tracking.
going fast and straight
QCCs are more playful than you might think, at least the Q600 is. After paddling just surfski on rough days and ICF K1 on calm days for a year I took my QCC out on a really choppy day up in Georgia last Thanksgiving. When I say really choppy I mean onshore winds at 20-25 opposing the beginnings of an ebb tide leaving the Savanah River. Over the shoals it was like paddling in big rapids. I had paddled my surfski out to the range light a back a couple of times and after a break I wanted to see how my kayak felt in those conditions.
The 600 is low volume relative to my 190lb bodyweight so it was actually easier to paddle upwind than my surfski. Running downwind I was surprised at how quickly I could turn with a lean + shift in power application and no rudder strokes to manuever on the wave and stay with a surfing run.
The NF Legend had a similar waterline length and rocker to the Q600 and is the only Brit Boat that I’ve paddled. While they feel entirely different (different volume distribution, different edging feel, different rolling feel…), ultimate maneuverability is about the same between them. Using sweeps, rudders, leans, whatever, I can get the two boats to do a 180 in about the same distance.
I agree with Greyak. Just because the ends are upswept doesn’t mean a boat is a turner and just because a boat has plum ends doesn’t render it straight keeled. Also, fast boats aren’t necessarily straight keeled. Some of the top ICF racing boats look like a banana below the waterline. My surfski has a considerable amount of rocker, though of the 21’8" overall length, 21’3" is waterline.
Skeg - Thanks Mike
Well I just ordered a 400XL k/c with a skeg, although I’d like to see a picture of one. Can’t get over that rudder sticking up. Wouldn’t be using it much anyway… At least I have 30 days to check the boat out.
QCC Newbie
Husband and I took delivery on a 700X and 600X about three weeks ago. We were absolutely thrilled and planned 5 days on the water non-stop to break them in. We had a great time with two issues. The hatch covers on the 700 leak with water actually getting inside the cover itself and sloshing around. Phil is helping us work through that.
The other issue is a little more serious. I am fairly short (28"inseam)and the thighbrace hits on top of my knee instead of back on my thigh on the 600. The seat is too far back for me and results in my legs especially my left(slightly shorter)one feeling uncomfortably pinned under the brace. We took measurements and it seems that the seat has to move up a full 3" to hit the thighbraces right. Phil is working on some fixes for me and I truly hope it works out because I really like the kayak.
In my opinion, the 600 turns like a dream once I got out of trying to horse it around like a rec kayak. The response to a subtle hip movement is amazing.
It’s easy to climb into while in the water and in spite of several opinions stating that these two kayaks are tippy, we both found them to be extremely stable.