Thoughts on Necky Chatham 16 Poly


Hello All,

I have found what I consider a pretty good deal on the Necky Chatham 16 poly. This would be my first sea kayak. I was looking into other brands and sizes but the price point on this seems nice. I am around 6 ft 175lbs and plan on using mostly on lakes as well as a few rivers. The reviews on this seem pretty good and I am test paddling it soon. Does anyone know about this yak? Any opinions good, bad or indifferent would be appreciated. Thanks!

Love mine
I’ve had mine for three years now, put over 2000 miles on it. It is great in big water, love taking mine out when the waves are 3-5’ and in confused conditions. It is a slow boat, I average out at 4 mph over a 6-8 hour paddle. Easy to roll, but very stable. Turns on a dime when you edge it over aggressively, holds an edge very well. Hatches are still dry after lots of use, the adjustable thigh braces are nice, give a good grip to twist the boat up. I’m 6’2’, 210#. It’s a perfect fit for me.

have you considered the chatham 17?
If you want to cover more distance, try the chatham 17 when you do your demo, the 16 has alot more rocker, and turns alot better, so it’s better for surfing and is more playful, but the 17 is a little more effecient for eating up the miles, you only lose a little turning.

Good learning platform
The Chatham 16 is a fun boat. It is known for its rough water capabilities but it is also a very supportive learning platform.



One might think of the Chatham 16 as a refined Romany - with better quality control :wink:

Waiting for mine
I tried one out last summer and it fit me to a “T”, but that’s me. I’ll be getting mine in a few months.

As with any boat, your build (ie-lenghth of torso, arms, legs), style of paddling (strokes, body movement; of which some is inherited), etc. comes into play. What feels fine to one person may be quite different to another.

Kind of like anything else. Give it a try before you buy!

I also tried out a Perception Shadow and loved the fit, but didn’t care for the rudder.

Best wishes on finding that one sweet boat for you!

it’s a great boat
get it

sure
I paddled a composite Chatham 16 and immediately ordered a plastic 16 and later a Chatham 18 in composite, sold the 18 and kept the plastic 16. If the metal guides for the back band adjstment straps bother your thighs go ahead and remove them and secure the backband to the sides of the seat frame. It maybe be low but life is rough,you gotta sit up to paddle anyway. They should have fixed the leaky hatch frames by now but if they do leak it’s easy to fix. You’ll appreciate it’s maneuverability on moving rivers and neutral handling on lakes with high winds.

You’re the perfect size for it as it can be too stable for shorter and lighter people.

Thoughts on necky chatham 16 poly
Thanks for everyones input on this Necky. In response to “Badgers” email. I tried to contact you about your boat but kept getting a bounce back message from your email account. Thanks again everyone.

Thoughts om Necky Chatham 16 Poly


Well…I thought I was getting the Necky 16 footer, however the guy never called me back. I don’t get it. I had the cash in hand and was ready to buy. I guess this person did not want to sell it too much. I’ll stop my complaining now. On to more searching I guess.

Did you…
…paddle one or were you just going to buy it without trying it?



My .02: Always try before you buy. :wink:

thoughts on necky chatham 16 poly


I was planning on paddling before I bought this. I would never buy something without trying it first. We had arranged a date to meet up but I never got a call back. Who knows? Maybe it sold? I just think it is a little rude to not return phone calls.

True…

– Last Updated: Mar-31-09 3:57 PM EST –

..He could've at least returned your call. That happens a lot though. I can't give you any feedback on the Chatham 16. My friend has a 17 and really likes it. I have the Capella 160 and think it's a great boat. I think the 166 would be a better choice for someone your size though.

there’s one in the michigan classifieds
unless that was the one you were shopping.

thoughts on necky chatham 16 poly


“I think the 166 would be a better choice for someone your size though.” Thanks for the input. Maybe I’ll check one of those out. In response to another poster thanks for the heads up on the classified add but since I live in the southeast Michigan it too far for me. I guess I will keep looking and something will eventually come up.