My wife hardly used it. Bought new in 2003. She developed RA shortly after buying the boat. Fully equipped with skirt and carbon paddle. Been out no more than 10 times…if that much. Hope sprang eternal. In garage storage, carefully cradled on foam. P&H brand. Kevlar. Beautiful red and yellow colors.
Where are you located?
It would also help to get an accurate weight. Many smaller paddlers would value this kayak if it comes in at the coveted 40 to 45 lb. weight range.
I’m in Louisville KY. Yes, ideal for paddlers under 165lbs. Kayak is in the 40-45 lb range.
It’s a very agile boat with a wonderful glide. Similar to the Brit Valley boats. Thanks for your interest.
Here is a data point for you. Last September I purchased a 2008 SKUK Explorer LV in Southern Michigan for just under $2,000. It’s around 10+ pounds heavier than yours & the fit is more about body size than weight as the hull is designed for carrying a load. Fit is primarily controlled by hip width & leg length along with the ability to enjoy a lower fore deck.
With a rough guess given the lower weight & hull construction of your vela I’d think maybe $2,500 - $3,000 might be a start depending on how fast you want it to sell.
I would’ve said that’s a very ambitious price for a boat with a relatively small audience, but I guess it depends a lot on how fast you want to sell it. If you can be patient and hold out for just the right buyer then of course you can get more.
I would think in my area $1500 - $2000 would be a more realistic price for a relatively fast sale, and I’d tend to sell the paddle separately, if it’s a good one, to maximize profit, since many people expect a “package deal” to be cheaper. Also good paddles are in really short supply now.
I used to post frequently here. All I could think of was getting out in my carribou.
So cool to see how much help is still out there. Taking in all the feedback. thanks to all and maybe more to come. I found the receipt. Came from Boundary Waters on V. island.
Shipping and Boat was 4000.00. And, accessories were extra. Can’t find a paddle buddy these days. At 71 too much damage to body parts to load my boat, solo. And ohio river is too dangerous to go without a partner. I still get to feel the glide when I swim at the wellness club. All about the glide.
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I’m pushing 74 and feel your pain. I can’t paddle without a partner to help load and unload. Luckily I have one who is my age and a lot less beat up than me.
You have a good friend, and he probably feels the same. I just received a picture of myself when I was 22 years old paddling and sitting upright in a pirogue in the swamps outside of New Orleans, my home town. Damm if I don’t look like overgrown Boy from a Tarzan picture. Photo was taken by a budding professional camera letting me lead him around Honey Island. Be careful. This is what happens when you start re-living the past.
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I was an Lt in the Army at that age in the best shape of my life.
We were studs eh?
Vela is a great but a niche boat, I have one and I am fairly sure the same year. It actually has a high enough deck to pedal with though it is narrow. Needs the skeg in wind but behaves decently when deployed. Better at sprint than high sustained speed, the nature of a boat that is 15’8" long. Tough as any boat I have ever been in when in slop.
If it has been housed inside all this time, give it a shot at $something like $1800 and see if you get interest.
Going into the Honey Island Swamp in the morning for a short paddle out of Logtown.
Isn’t logtown as far north as shreveport or thereabout. I think of that part of the state as very big in timber. It was only fifty years ago, but I remember areas of the swamp like it was yesterday. Being in love with the one that i let get away may have something to do with. If you haven’t been there before, my memory is that there are some water channels that are deceptively deep and fast. The swamp can eat boats. I had the pleasure of exploring an unmarked area. Now I think there are signs and tours all over the place. Sorry, I’m just an old dude wanting dust off memories and make them what I need.
Yeah, studs!
Logtown is a former town in the Stennis Space Center easement area of the east Pearl…basically Pearlington MS. Easiest boat launch with access to the lower Honey Island Swamp & far from where the gator feeding tour boats that operate on the west Pearl at Hwy 90.
A nine year old kayak in good shape will generally sell for about half what you paid for it. Once used a kayak will lose a lot of value, but after this it will retain that value for a very long time.
Unlike a car a kayak does not change much in style or abilities over the years. That is why I always recommend trying to buy used if possible, especially for a first boat .
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