So, as Celia says, this boat is probably a little big for you. But…even though you’re not ready to buy yet, right?, you’re getting a much better idea of what to look for.
I am supposedly not ready, but would be tempted to be tell you the truth. We are running out of summer and logistically taking a long time going to demo days and club events is just not going to happen. Ironically, it’s much easier for me to plop a boat in the waters of Lake Ontario (can be there within 30 min, paddle for an hour, 30 min back, all done in 2 hours) than to find opportunities to try stuff. Someone suggested driving to Kingston for a paddle…yeah, right, like this is going to happen between work, family and a ton of other things that are going on. In a sense, I need “a boat” good enough to start.
But the used market is pretty bad and the new market wants an arm and a leg. Pretty frustrated at this point.
…end rant
Also, hold off on choosing between a boat with a skeg and a boat with a rudder until you’ve tried both. Read up on the advantages and disadvantages of each system. Hint: a rudder is really not meant for steering a kayak.
You’re right. Summer is short and more than half over.
A lot of people buy the “wrong” first boat, but often this can’t be avoided. I’ve bought and sold a few boats myself that weren’t quite right for me. The boats you’ve been pointing out lately are much better than a Box Store special. Your budget is a limiting factor. You should also consider safety accessories, car topping, and storage when it comes to money.
One thing is true with boats, and it’s that good sea kayaks that have been taken care of tend to hold their value pretty well. This means that as long as you get a good used deal and take care of it, if find that you want to upgrade later you won’t have to take a huge hit on the sale.
Most sea kayaks need a rudder or a skeg. There are some sea kayaks with neither rudder nor skeg, that still need one. Then there are a very few instances of kayaks that need neither. The cult favorite here in the NW is most any kayak made by Mariner kayaks. And yes, they are good in rough water. The company ceased production, but there are still a few on the used market. My older NDK Explorer has a skeg, but I’ve not yet used/needed it. That particular skeg is a rope skeg, easy to repair in the field. The idea of simple-to-repair is attractive.
@Sparky961 said:
You’re right. Summer is short and more than half over.
A lot of people buy the “wrong” first boat, but often this can’t be avoided. I’ve bought and sold a few boats myself that weren’t quite right for me. The boats you’ve been pointing out lately are much better than a Box Store special. Your budget is a limiting factor. You should also consider safety accessories, car topping, and storage when it comes to money.
That’s all good, I worked most of it out already with the Pelican. J racks, straps, tested out in a couple of trips. Storage is not a problem, I got room in my garage. Paddle float - check, a couple of pfds - check (water tested), bilge pump - check. Wet exits and paddle float reentry somewhat practiced - check and more of that coming.
One thing is true with boats, and it’s that good sea kayaks that have been taken care of tend to hold their value pretty well. This means that as long as you get a good used deal and take care of it, if find that you want to upgrade later you won’t have to take a huge hit on the sale.
That’s all good, I worked most of it out already with the Pelican. J racks, straps, tested out in a couple of trips…
One thing to add - if you’re not using them already. With a longer, skinnier boat, bow and stern tie downs (in addition to a couple of straps) are pretty much mandatory especially if you’re driving any distance or at highway speeds. They don’t have to be fancy though and a couple of lengths of 1/4" rope will do it.
That’s all good, I worked most of it out already with the Pelican. J racks, straps, tested out in a couple of trips…
One thing to add - if you’re not using them already. With a longer, skinnier boat, bow and stern tie downs (in addition to a couple of straps) are pretty much mandatory especially if you’re driving any distance or at highway speeds. They don’t have to be fancy though and a couple of lengths of 1/4" rope will do it.
@Celia.
I looked at the reviews here; all pretty good including one guy who paddled the Cape Horn 15 on a 34 day, 740-mile trip around Lake Huron - not the typical first-kayak review.
Most recent one is of a 15-year old kayak. Might be a great start to getting in lots of seat time, which is really the best education of all (as you so wisely advised me in the past).
OK. now i am confused. The Cape Horn 140 was made by Wilderness Systems, not Perception. If it was a WS Cape Horn 140 it would be a smaller person boat 14’ 6" long and 22" wide and said to be a great beginner sea kayak for a smaller person (and I would concur since my hardshell sea kayak is a low volume 22" x 15’ hard chined kayak very similar to the WS Cape Horn 140).
I don’t recall ever seeing a Cape Horn in a Perception catalog so I think your seller is confused.
Oops, I missed that you had posted another ad – the blue kayak does appear to be a Cape Horn. IF it is a 140, which was the smaller person version of the large Cape Horn 170, it should be 51 pounds weight and 22" beam which is a good width for folks our size (similar dimensions to my 15’ x 22" Easky LV). If it is the 17’ long Cape Horn 170 it might be too large. Also looks quite a bit older than the Perception due to the hatch design>
The red Perception is probably an Eclipse, and if so would be a pretty good boat for you. In 2006 they phased out the 14’ Eclipse and pretty much replaced it with poly versions of the Carolina (which they had first only made in the Airalite acylic/ABS versions).
Here is the link to the 2005 Perception catalog that shows the Eclipse (you have to scroll way down to the third from last page to find the plastic Eclipse model).
And here are the specs on the Cape Horn 140 and on another older Cape Horn that seems to be 15’ x 23" (maybe that is the one in the ad?). If that is the case, it might be OK for you. But not the 17’ version, which is a “big guy” boat.
The logo on the side of the boat is clearly the old WS logo. Either the boat pictured is,not what is for sale, or the seller acquired this and has no idea what they got.
My first kayak was the Cape Horn 15 with a rudder. I’m not seeing a rudder on the pictured boat. On a windy day you will want the rudder. It’s a first boat. If you absolutely want a boat soon rather than a good boat when available, yeah, the Cape Horn will get you on the water with hatches and perimeter lines.
Now go back up and look at my post that has better boats suggested. Go try out those and boats like those.
I’m about your size… well I WAS. Picked up a little weight over the years. I’m a bicycle person so I really value the fit and handling of a boat as opposed to how much camping or fishing gear it will carry. Sounds like you are of a similar mindset.
Can a rudder be retrofitted easily?
Edit: I suspect I might get serious about this boat. At this price I can take a bit of a risk, plus I am trying to sell the pelican which will offset the cost quite a bit.
Contact a Wilderness Systems dealer and see if they will put a rudder on for you. It was easy years ago. Don’t know about now. That’s an old, discontinued design.
As a rudder was originally an option on the Cape Horn, I would expect it to be somewhat “rudder ready”. But whether a generic kit will fit I don’t think you’ll know until you have both the kayak and the kit in your hands. The key will probably be how the rudder bracket mounts to the stern of the kayak, and there are several different ways in which kayak manufacturers do this, for example some mount to a vertical surface and some to a horizontal one.
Here’s a video from Confluence (the parent company of Wilderness Systems) on how to install on a rudder-ready kayak…
You’ll notice that the kayaks in the videos have nuts embedded in their sterns to accept a vertical mounting, but not all kayaks are built this way, and probably not all rudder kits have brackets that will attach this way.
