I began kayaking last October in a North Shore Atlantic, learned to roll, did my Paddle Canada L2, and am looking forward to a multiple week trip this summer. As minimal as I try to keep my gear, I don’t think I can pack enough into my LV and am considering buying a larger, touring kayak. A friend has offered me their Valley Nordkapp at a very good price. It’s a lovely fibreglass kayak, but when I go ashore, it is very tipsy, which I am not used to. I like skeg boats in spite of friends saying you should have a rudder for touring with a loaded boat. I would appreciate any thoughts.
I’m 5’8" and want to make the right choice.
Which model and year of Nordkapp?
There are some variations, some of the newer changes made the boat a bit more fault-tolerant depending on the model.
Note though that the original Nordie, and some of its further generations, had a characteristic of being more mannerly fully loaded than when empty.
ballast in nordkapp
A friend of mine about your size has a dive belt or metal plate under the seat in his nordkapp for day paddles. There are lots of people doing month+ long paddles in skegged boats. If you are not very skilled at steering strokes or want to tour with a wing paddle then a rudder boat is a good choice.
don’t listen to your friends 
You’ll do fine with a skeg.
I’ve heard the nordkapp settles down when loaded. But if it were me I’d think about what and how I was packing. I paddle an Explorer and always have room to spare (but I paddle freshwater so I don’t carry lots of water on trips).
I have two touring yaks
One is a Tupperware 17 footer with an upswept bow, and the other is an 18 foot carbon/lkevlar QCC-700 with a plumb bow. I do many multi day camping trips, and since I got the QCC that is my boat of choice. I can’t say for certain, but I don’t believe there is another touring kayak out there with hatch covers as big as the QCC.
I am an inch taller then you and weigh 157 or there abouts
Jack L
Up to the paddler
The Nordkapp, especially the older ones, is designed for performance and that puts some of the onus on the paddler for staying upright. The reward is a great combination of speed and maneuverability. You will get used to that and it will make you a better paddler.