Brian Nystrom wrote in message ...
akasharkbow wrote:

Talk to me about P&H kayaks. What do you think of them? I am interested in
the Capella plastic model. I have good experience with kayaks and
interested in what people thought of both that particular model as well as
the boats in general. Construction, design, etc.

P&H plastic kayaks are among the most rigid and best built on the market. The
Capella is very maneuverable, but tends to weathercock. You'll probably used
the skeg frequently.

Capella has excellent plastic , The only plastic I have seen that may
be better is Prijon.
Capella is a much better design.
It is not a beginners boat as initial stability is , well: it's not a
first timers boat.
Hatches are very tight. maneuverability is excellent. she wanders a
little if you don't have a good forward stroke . It does not track
like a train.
It turns, edges, rolls like a dream.
Don't put a rudder on it. The skeg may prove usefull.
Capella in spite of some opinions to the contrary is NOT a fast boat.
It is short, low volume, and has a lot of rocker. Great for rock
hopping and the best boat I have been in for day trips over 95 % of my
paddling is day trips , well short outings.
The Capella is a fairly low volume boat. I am 5'8" 180 Lbs and carry
20 or so pounds of safety gear plus water and lunch. It is at its
comfortable limit there. I own an NDK Explorer for longer or faster
trips.
Three or four years back, I had the Capella out for a long haul with
four other paddlers . With me , 2 gallons of water, tent , 3 days
food, cook stove, well all the geat it sat deap in the water and it
was hard to keep up with a Current Designs Storm, Dagger Magellin and
a Necky Narpa. All the other paddlers were of equal strength to me or
better with 2 or them 10 years younger.

( Low Volume, Not Fast.)

Service from P & H is splendid. The O'Briens , friends of mine: had a
bulkhead issuer with a Quest fron P & H and were dealt with most
fairly. I had a hatch perrish and the local dealer sent me a new one
off a boat in his invintory imediately.
Service is no stranger to these people.
P & H makes fine boats, Mine is VERY experienced ( Beat to hell) and
continues to see abuse all the time. Most the photos on my vanity site
were taken from my Capella. the one of a whale under water was taken
by rolling , snap the photo and came back up. I don't know it it was
the NDK or Capella I was in for that. These boats handle almost
identically.
Site address .
http://pages.ivillage.com/mcgruer or check out www.kayakers.nf.ca
P & H mahes good boats and if you are my size or smaller and
reasonably experienced you will love it.
It also handles really bad weather nicely .

Good luck
Alex. Oh I don't work for P & H.