Brian Nystrom wrote in
:

John Fereira wrote:
Brian Nystrom wrote in
news:0K8rd.76575$7i4.55243 @bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:


Vee wrote:

I am buying my first kayak but have been renting and demoing for a
couple of years. I have narrowed my choices to 3 similar boats. I am
very interested in hearing from those that own or have used these
boats for a period of time.
The boats are VCP Skerray RMX, CD Sirocco, and P&H Cappella 166 RM.


The kayaks on your list are very different boats.

The Passage is at the crossover point between recreational boats and
true sea kayaks. It's pretty capable in rough water, but it's a too
short, too wide and a bit too stable to be optimum. It's also rather
slow, which can be a real handicap on longer days. It tracks
moderately strongly compared to the others. It's a great boat for what
it is and it served me well. If its size and capabilities suit your
needs, it would be a good choice.


Good description of the Passage. It's also worth mentioning that it's
probably the shortest boat on the market that comes equipped with a
skeg. I found that it tracks reasonably well without the skeg
deployed but improves considerabled when dropped. Unlike another boat
I won't mention the Passage is a boat that has been made better with
the addition of the skeg.


The Skerray is a very maneuverable boat, essentially a "plastic
Pintail". It's very confidence inspiring in rough water and seems to
be a bit faster than a Pintail. It's definitely faster than a Passage
and feels far more "spirited". I like the boat a lot. I would own one
for teaching and rock play if I could justify buying another boat.


What a terrific assessment of the Skerray, though the Skerray RM is
actually essentially a plastic Skerray. "Spirited" is a very good
description of how it paddles. It's just a fun boat to paddle. Do you
really think the Skerray (I assume you mean the composite version) is
faster than a Pintail?

Actually, I was referring to the Skerray RM and yes, it seems a bit
faster, but perhaps it's just that I consider my Pintail to be a real
pig on flat water. It's the best rough water boat I've ever paddled and
I wouldn't want to be without a pre-'95 Pintail in the "fleet", but
it's drudgery to paddle when it's dead-flat-calm and I'm trying to keep
up with other paddlers in higher performance boats. As you know, it
pretty much "hits a wall" at around 4 knots. I have to admit that I've
never paddled these boats back to back, so perhaps I'm mistaken about
the speed difference.

Could be. Some boats just "feel" faster. When I built my Outer Island I
knew it was supposed to be a fast boat and I could easily tell that it was
quick but I didn't realize how efficient it was at higher speeds until I was
paddling with a friend of mine that's a strong paddler. When he's in his
Artic Hawk I always struggled to keep up him over longer distances but in
the OI I felt like I was just cruising and he wasn't pulling away from me as
he normally would.


Would you be interested in a fiberglass version with an ocean cockpit?
I've considered selling mine (but always change my mind when I get
out and paddle it again) and might consider selling it to someone I
know would appreciate it.

I should hate you for tempting me like that! ;-)

Actually, there wouldn't be much point in my getting a 'glass Skerray,
since it wouldn't be much different from the Pintail. I would like to
have an RM for teaching and rock bashing, and had a line on one a while
back, but I just can't swing it right now.

That's actually my primary motivation for selling it. There are some pretty
nice RM boats coming out these days and I wouldn't mind having something
that would take the abuse of teaching and running a few big rivers like the
Delaware. On the the other hand, for a glass boat the Skerray (and a
Pintail) can take quite a beating. According to the serial number in mine
it's 14 years old.