Guillemot
17' x 21" |
The Guillemot is extremely agile. It has quite a bit of
rocker, and coupled with its relatively hard chines (for a strip kayak), it is very easy
to turn. In fact, you don't have to edge it at all to get it to turn. For a
21" beam kayak, it's quite stable. Leaned, it has a comforting amount of
secondary stability. It has a tendancy to weathercock, and would greatly benefit
from a skeg. |
Panache
18' 6" x 23" |
The Panache is a hard-tracking expedition boat. It
offers a huge amount of storage space in each of the two hatches. It has an
efficient shallow arch hull which makes it a very fast kayak. It has hull flare
above the waterline, which gives it reserve boyancy when leaned. It's got very
little rocker and is quite difficult to turn. It takes multiple boat-lengths to turn
completely aound. It does not seem to be affected much by wind. My wife has
claimed this boat as her own. The boat's a bit big for her, but she won't give
it up. |
Outer Island
17' 10" x 21" |
The Outer Island is a low volume kayak.
Like the Panache, it has a shallow arch hull. It's faster and has
a longer glide. It's also a strong tracking kayak and responds noticeably
to edged turns. It's very easy to roll, and the extremely low aft
deck makes it easy to lay back. The fore deck is fairly low as well,
but I still feel comfortable with my size 11's (with booties, not Teva's). |
Wee Lassie II
13' 6" x 28" |
Admittedly, I've only paddled the WLII a couple of times, but
I was surprised at a couple things: It tracked better than the Guillemot (which is
3.5 ft longer) and it didn't feel nearly as stable as I expected a 28" wide canoe to
feel. I built it to allow us to take the dog along on outings, but our dalmation
didn't seem to appreciate my efforts. The WLII is not likely to get much water time. |
