Great forum. Would love to get your advice as I pick my next kayak. I've been paddling an Eddyline Merlin XT on open water on multiday trips on the Great Lakes for a decade and have decided I want something that may offer more performance for day trips and touring to reduce risks on solo trips and increase enjoyment, especially in higher wind, waves and rocky points. I'm 6' 170 lbs. and an XT is big on me and harder to handle in rough water.
I've found and researched two used boats nearby that seem like good candidates: Valley Aquanaut Club RM and a Pintail Composite. I haven't yet had a chance to paddle any Valley boats, but hope to try out at least one of these before purchase. People seem more likely to take the Aquanaut on multiday trips, but usually they're referring to the composite and I'm wondering how well the RM rotomolded version performs which also has slightly different dimensions. Does it have any weaknesses compared to the composite besides being obviously heavier to load on the car top and less repairable in the field. For instance, is it less nimble or slower? Does the combing hold a skirt as tightly? That's a weak point for another RM boat that I've used.
The pintail sounds like more fun in rough water and some people seem to have enjoyed touring with them too, but I haven't had a composite boat before and wonder how well it would handle being pulled up on rocky beaches and such.
I'm also not in a hurry, so I could wait for something else if you have suggestions. For instance, I also just found a beautiful used Chesapeake 17 woodie, but the size and shape leads me to guess that it won't perform any better than my Merlin XT. Thanks.
I've found and researched two used boats nearby that seem like good candidates: Valley Aquanaut Club RM and a Pintail Composite. I haven't yet had a chance to paddle any Valley boats, but hope to try out at least one of these before purchase. People seem more likely to take the Aquanaut on multiday trips, but usually they're referring to the composite and I'm wondering how well the RM rotomolded version performs which also has slightly different dimensions. Does it have any weaknesses compared to the composite besides being obviously heavier to load on the car top and less repairable in the field. For instance, is it less nimble or slower? Does the combing hold a skirt as tightly? That's a weak point for another RM boat that I've used.
The pintail sounds like more fun in rough water and some people seem to have enjoyed touring with them too, but I haven't had a composite boat before and wonder how well it would handle being pulled up on rocky beaches and such.
I'm also not in a hurry, so I could wait for something else if you have suggestions. For instance, I also just found a beautiful used Chesapeake 17 woodie, but the size and shape leads me to guess that it won't perform any better than my Merlin XT. Thanks.