Submitted: 04-01-2002 by jd-s
I paddled this boat for a day paddle around Newport Beach harbor. Although it was windy, the harbor is very protected and I didn't have to contend with chop. I found the boat to handle reasonably well. It tracked fairly well, and during my paddle, I felt that a rudder was only needed when I wanted to control drifting as I checked out the map or stopped to take a drink and watch the scenery.It responds nicely, though not eagerly, to a hanging draw and to leaned turns, though I never did feel comfortable with where it's secondary stability point was. (I was unwilling to deliberately risk going over, considering I was paddling solo with no paddle float in a harbor). I didn't try rolling. The cockpit was quite roomy... it would need padding out to truly fit me, and I'm not small. The back band seemed uncomfortable, but it may just be that it needed some adjustments. The hatches were quite roomy, but also showed evidence of leaking, though I didn't test them. All in all, a pleasant, but not particularly playful, boat. I would recommend this boat to beginners who want a boat that will accommodate growth in paddling skills or intermediates who are looking for a fairly stable, easy to paddle, forgiving boat. |