Wenonah Sea Kayak?

Advice
#1
-- Last Updated: May-05-11 1:39 PM EST --

Greetings everyone.
Today I've got to decide whether or not I'm going to purchase a fiberglass Wenonah sea kayak. I would be going very far out of my way to pick this vessel up so I thought you guys might be able to help me out before I commit to buy today.

I went to the Wenonah website and it doesn't seem like they make Kayaks. I emailed customer service and they said they they do under the Current Designs name. But the seller says this is a Wenonah kayak... 18' long, 21" wide, rudder, approx. 53lbs. Fiberglass

Here is a link to the image the seller just texted me:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/3gkbmd5

(I put the link in tiny URL because the google docs URL wasn't displaying right on the this forum)

I am a 5'8 150lb male. Novice paddler living on the coast looking to break into sea and river tour kayaking. If you can help me figure out if it's worth my 600 quid that would be greatly appreciated.

#2

risky at best, IMO
I assume you mean the one in Ellsworth? (my town, coincidentally)



That’s been on Craigslist for at least six months, and in past listings they included a picture. If I recall it had no hatches, and looked like a bit of an odd-duck, maybe a flatwater racing kayak?



Chances are, you could do better for $600 in your local area. If you’re a beginner, getting something that more-experienced paddlers can recommend is probably a good idea, as you may not really know what to look for in a sea kayak. There are some decent plastic models available on Craigslist in southern Maine. Squall and Squamish, for example, depending on your size.



If you do decide to come to Ellsworth, you can check out my craigslist offering as well (Valley Pintail).



Good luck


#3

Wenonah Sea Kayak?
Thanks for the reply.

I was just looking at the front of it and I couldn’t imagine how the waves wouldn’t wash right over the bow. The forward placement of the cockpit, strange looking hatch, flatness, etc. Explains the Wenonah tag rather than Current Designs.



Anyway, it is the Ellsworth one. I saw your pintail, nice boat, not my price range though.



Thanks again.

#4

Seal
I believe it’s a Wenonah Seal, a friend might have demoed that boat many years ago. He didn’t find it too fast, despite it being a racing kayak. Granted he was paddling sprint boats at the time. It’s an older design and their are much better choices for racing style sea kayaks available now.

What models are you looking at and what’s your price range?

#5

Look at this one

– Last Updated: May-05-11 3:23 PM EST –

That Wenonah appears to be a dog.

You're a small novice - I just found this on the NH craigslist, and it would probably be a good, very inexpensive boat to try out. It has loads of good reviews here on p-net. Seriously, I think you should check it out:

http://nh.craigslist.org/boa/2360797496.html

Its shorter length would help with river kayaking, and the reviews make it sound like a comfortable boat. Don't neglect getting a front flotation bag.

There's also a WS Tchaika listed. This a real sea kayak for smaller paddlers, so would be more challenging to start with. It gets good reviews here as well, also needs front end flotation.

#6

get a sea kayak
Since you’re on the coast, and say your interested in sea paddling, I’d recommend that you get a sea kayak, rather than some transitional jobber. Two bulkheads, cockpit around 30" long. Perimeter deck lines.



Those are some basic safety features for ocean paddling.