I’d paddle it before buying a rudder kit to determine whether you actually need one in the conditions you’re paddling in. The way the boat is trimmed with your particular body and light load might result in handling different from any other paddler/load combination.
@Yanoer said:
I’d paddle it before buying a rudder kit to determine whether you actually need one in the conditions you’re paddling in. The way the boat is trimmed with your particular body and light load might result in handling different from any other paddler/load combination.
I would definitely agree with this advice.
I’ve been paddling for about 5 years which means that I have neither the skills nor the experience of many on this board, but personally I’m not a big fan of rudders. I know they have their place and I have paddled a few boats with them, enough to say that I vastly prefer the SmartTrack design where the foot braces don’t slide and you control the rudder with just your toes. But, for my paddling, which admittedly doesn’t involve many long open water crossings, I much prefer the simplicity of a skeg. And even then I rarely use the skeg on my kayak.
Also I’m not sure of the wisdom in investing money in such an older kayak, money that I doubt will be recouped on resale.
Was the red Perception kayak you first posted sold? Of not. why are you not considering it? It appears to be newer and in better shape, also has the rudder.
@willowleaf said:
Was the red Perception kayak you first posted sold? Of not. why are you not considering it? It appears to be newer and in better shape, also has the rudder.
As Celia first pointed out, the Perception appears to be a little big for him especially in terms of cockpit size.
What kfbrady said. Skeg better. Be patient and don’t buy an old, outdated design just because you can get it now. If you’re going out into a Great Lake you don’t want to be in an OK Kayak. Get a Great Kayak.
And the perceptions seller is unresponsive.
Oh no, the rudder vs skeg debate monster showing it’s ugly head.
I’m not opposed to boats with rudders or skegs, but some boat/paddler combinations don’t need them, that’s the only point I was making. Some hulls perform better with rudders than skegs (QCC sells more with rudders than skegs) and some better with skegs than rudders (Eddylines rarely, if ever, have rudders). Some do well with neither.
It depends a lot on the designer’s intentions.
I agree. Let’s avoid the skeg vs rudder vs none. In my mind the issue here is mediocre boat now vs really good boat later when it finally shows up.
This often works itself out. My goodbye to a rudder was after my first sea kayak that had one. I barely ever used it, disliked it most times when l tried and pulled it up. After a couple of years of having to wrap the back in bubble wrap for pool sessions lest someone get cut on the cable (happened once and it was bloody), trying to dodge the cables myself for re-entry and once having to ask a third paddle to come and get me unstuck from another whose front toggle had gotten stuck in the cable…
No contest that my next boat was going to be skegged. But there are paddlers in the local group who just don’t run into this stuff.
@Rex said:
I agree. Let’s avoid the skeg vs rudder vs none. In my mind the issue here is mediocre boat now vs really good boat later when it finally shows up.
The problem is all the lost seat time while you’re searching for that really good boat. In my case, in two years I’ve not found a single boat I was looking for on the used market (within a reasonable driving distance).
Sometimes getting lots of seat time in a not-so-perfect boat can teach you what you want in a “really good boat.”
Agree again… provided the “can-get-it-now” boat isn’t total junk. I think a 15 foot Cape Horn is among the least junky of boats he’s listed. Having had one I know that it needs the rudder when the wind is up. I think the poster’s goal of paddling big water is admirable but you really don’t want to be out in the big stuff in a craft that’s not up to the job.
So, I bought the Cape Horn yesterday. It was a bit of a hike but all went well. The seller was reasonable and came down a bit in price so I am happy. I might have found a buyer for the Pelican, so if it goes through it will offset most of the cost of the Cape Horn. Nice.
The boat is certainly old, but seems solid,
I would like to extend a huge thanks to all the good folks who steered me in the right direction. I can see now how important the fit is, this cockpit feels like a snug fit. The Pelican, in comparison , feels like a bathtub.
The boat came with a skirt and a paddle that seems better than the basic one I already have.
Again, thanks everybody!
PS One of those days I will clean up that garage…
Enjoy
@Rex said:
Agree again… provided the “can-get-it-now” boat isn’t total junk. I think a 15 foot Cape Horn is among the least junky of boats he’s listed. Having had one I know that it needs the rudder when the wind is up. I think the poster’s goal of paddling big water is admirable but you really don’t want to be out in the big stuff in a craft that’s not up to the job.
The big water is not going to happen soon, I have much to learn, but ultimately lake Ontario is the goal, when I am ready for it. For now I am going to mess with it in various small lakes around here.
@SpaceSputnik - Congrats on having something in that garage, which by the way is a good bit cleaner than where I keep my boats under the house. The snug fit matters, as long as you can still get out, but that will not be an issue for you in this boat. The worst that happens with it being less tracky than some is that by the time you want to move on, you are a better paddler at handling wind etc. Seriously - my husband’s first sea kayak was one that was very disinterested in going straight in wind. But after paddling that on rivers and in Maine offshore for a season or two, he was able to make an excellent choice on the fancy composite one.
Congratulations from me too. Now get out there and paddle!
And stick around on this forum; you can learn a lot here.
P.S. Your garage is also neater than mine. 
Thanks! I will get out this weekend. I suspect it will be more of a technical outing to make sure everything is ok with the boat.
PS Thanks for the compliments on my garage, but you haven’t seen the rest of it. It has various dark corners with stuff that is “oh I thought think I might need that, 20 years later it’s still there” 
I really like the color of your Cape Horn. Mine was grey.
I know you didn’t ask about this but that’s not stopping me… you might consider a loud, bright pfd and hat to make yourself more visible on the water. That boat is pretty but the color is very water-like. Kinda camo. I’m not trying to be a safety Nazi… just a suggestion. (My boat was the color of a whitecap so I went bright and loud with a hat and pfd.)
@Rex said:
I really like the color of your Cape Horn. Mine was grey.I know you didn’t ask about this but that’s not stopping me… you might consider a loud, bright pfd and hat to make yourself more visible on the water. That boat is pretty but the color is very water-like. Kinda camo. I’m not trying to be a safety Nazi… just a suggestion. (My boat was the color of a whitecap so I went bright and loud with a hat and pfd.)
That loud enough?
The paddle is green.
One thing I liked about the Pelican is the color. My wife could spot me from far away…
