Kayak "Road Tests"

All dimensions in cm
All weights are for the heaviest (standard) construction type
Cockpit types are K (Keyhole), O (Ocean), or of a configurable type
Bow compartment, Stern compartment, Day hatch and cockpit volumes are in litres.  Not all kayaks have a day hatch (indicated by na), some do not have seperate bow or stern hatches (na).
Where information is not available (but should be) the information is left blank.

ALL DATA IS OBTAINED FROM MANUFACTURERS INFORMATION,
Some models may no longer be manufactured, their details are still found here so you can compare the boat you have now with what you wish to buy next!

What Have I Forgotten to Bring??  The Artisan Millenium     Next Item      Back to Top 
by Dave R

Picture (c) Kayaksports

This year I finally splashed out and bought a new sea kayak. I had been thinking about this for about 16 years. In fact 16 years ago I did buy another sea kayak but it was built so badly I sent it back. (No Names, No packdrill !! ). I had been reluctant to explore the market again until this year. And why should I do that? Although my existing sea kayak still has many years of paddling life left, there were several reasons;

• there have been great strides in the extra features available in the latest sea kayak designs,
• my old boat has seen me through more than 20 years of sea paddling. If my next boat is to last as long I’ll need to buy it now to get full value out of it,
• sea kayaks are now lighter and my old Norkapp is very heavy. What could terminate my serious paddling could be a back injury when I’m shifting the old boat.

Of course, deciding to buy a new sea kayak is easy. The difficult bit is choosing which one to buy. I looked around and obtained some leaflets. I asked a few people then went to Woodmill to look at their collection. My thoughts, up to that point, had focussed on the Romany Explorer and the Sirius. Phil Quill suggested I looked at the Mega and the Artisan Millenium. I had not heard of either of them. Phil offered me the use of them for a club paddle so, two weeks later, I took the Millenium on the club trip from Eastney to Cowes. Pat Collins joined us with some friends and in the flotilla were a Romany Explorer and a Mega.

The reason I had chosen the Millenium for the trip was because of its length and features. On the trip I was very impressed with its speed. When we landed at Cowes I was allowed to borrow the other kayaks for a short paddle to compare them with the Millenium.

So why did I go for the Millenium and what do I think about it ??

Firstly though, I have to say that all my comparisons are made with the Nordkapp, because I have paddled one for 20 years. I had had the opportunity to try Dave M’s Norkapp Jubilee, and I did not feel that it was much different to my old boat, except for the lateral stability and the optional extras.

A simple comparison of the main parameters are:

The optional extras that come with most kayaks that I did not have on my old Norkapp were :

• adjustable skeg
• oval back hatch cover
• small day hatch
• adjustable footrests
• back rest
• footpump.

These features alone make such a difference to the comfort of the present day paddler. But there are differences between these features on the Norkapp and the Millenium.

The skeg on the Millenium is of the fin type rather than a blade which, I feel, makes it stronger, less prone to being bent on shore and probably causes less drag.

The front round hatch and rear oval hatch are large on the Millenium, making for easier packing. It was this feature alone that made such a difference on my recent trip, compared to my old boat. It enables you to make full use of the space and to reach well into the holds. I was able to pack my Karrimat inside the back hatch as well as food and clothing. This left my rear deck clear except for the spare paddles.

An additional hatch cover is fitted to the very rear of the Millenium. This is only 10cm in diameter and is fitted to the deck behind the skeg box. At first I thought it was more of an adornment than a useful feature, but I was wrong. It gives good access to the volume behind the skeg box and the diameter of the hatch is just right for taking packets of milk, spare spraydecks, and small tins for lunches.

What about the main lines of the boat ??

Although it is only slightly longer than the Nordkapp, the bow and stern are not raised as much at the ends of the boat and they are not as slender. This gives it a longer waterline length, which adds to its speed. While I was in Scotland I was told that it rides slightly higher in the water than the VCP boats. I felt that there was a tendency for the kayak to catch the wind slightly more than the VCP boats so if you were not careful it was easy to drift well away from the others.

The hull has a semi-hard chine so there is a slight initial wobbliness but the secondary stability is good. This is another feature I wanted to improve upon compared to my old boat. Although the width of the Millenium is only 1cm wider than the Nordkapp, it retains a wider section further along the hull. At the position of the feet there is plenty of room so you can pack extra items near the footrest and still have ample room to move your feet around; very useful for long paddles !!

The deck of the kayak is flatter than that of the Nordkapp, which again adds to the storage volume.

Of great importance is the seat. This is a semi-rigid plastic construction with a foam backing. It is very comfortable for those long hours afloat. The back rest is integral with the seat and I found this rather difficult to fit, but that is probably because I’m not used to back rests.

The material of the hatch covers is softer than the VCP hatch covers. The oval cover is very difficult to crack open, and one needs to develop a technique for this. It makes for a very dry boat. The hatch covers are all attached to the kayak by cord, which is probably the cause of my one leak. I put this down to the trapping of the cord between the small rear hatch cover and the rim.

Finally, the quality of construction. I cannot fault this; it looks as if the makers have taken great care to both the outside and the inside. The inside of the cockpit is very smooth and the joint between the deck and hull is very securely glassed together.

In conclusion, I am delighted with the boat. It is fast, comfortable, more stable than my old boat and is a good expedition craft. I would recommend it to anyone thinking of buying an expedition boat. Of course, sea kayaks are like shoes; what I find comfortable will not necessarily appeal to another person. Nevertheless, I would suggest that this kayak should be on everyone’s list when looking for a new, high quality expedition sea kayak.

The Sirius 2000     Next Item Back to Top
By Peter N D

Picture (c)P&H Kayaks

"If the canoe designer must rely largely on his own experience and intuition, a novice canoeist must indeed be hard pressed to make a sensible choice of craft." (Frank Goodman, writing in the BCU Canoeing Handbook)

One of my many kayaking nadirs occurred while attempting to catch pollock at the entrance to the Penrhyn Mawr tidal race. The empty Sirius felt twitchy, the fish hook was out of control, my new paddle seemed flimsy and we were being sucked into the race. This combination of factors led to a total loss of confidence and then to the loss of basic kayaking skills. Luckily, I didn't catch anything as a fish on the spray deck would have been disastrous. A Level Five Sea Coach advised me to sell the boat and, at the time, I would have accepted anything resembling a sensible offer.

But on the way home, despite my shaken condition, the Sirius eased through a decent swell, creamed effortlessly past two young men in an NDK double and made light work of a surf landing which capsized others. That's life in a Sirius. Never a dull moment!

A boat's performance derives from its hull shape. The Sirius 2000 has a 17 feet long, V-bottomed hull with rounded chines and is widest, just 20.5 inches, immediately behind the cockpit. It's stunning good looks are slightly marred by too much hollowing of the clipper bow but, even so, the Sirius is a work of art in the classic livery of golden yellow and white with black trim. Looks matter. No one wants to paddle an ugly boat. However, three performance issues are a little bit more important and these are speed versus stability, tracking versus manoeuvrability and recovery from capsize.

First, speed. The waterline length is about ten times the waterline beam at any loading state. In other words, the effective beam is about 18 inches without cargo, making a Sea Squirt look fat. A narrow Swede-form qualifies the Sirius for the easily driven cachet, meaning mile-eating requires minimal effort and tides may sometimes be ignored. During my one flat water trip, narrow boat engines strained in vain to overhaul standard cruising speed and I had to stop because of the noise. A beamier 18 footer may give the same rate of progress, but the Sirius is easier to handle in the car park, and possibly on the water too.

As for stability, I once saw a man stand on the back deck of a floating Sirius, which must therefore be a great deal more stable than it feels. In calm conditions, wavelets seem to slap V-hulled boats from one plane of the V to the other, an unnerving sensation, but on big swells boats like the Sirius behave really well in comparison with wider, shallow arch hulls. It's an odd boat which reassures more on deep sea swells and in surf than on a flat calm, but experiences with other V-hulled boats have been similar. My comments on tippiness should be taken in the context of only one unexpected capsize, and I was back-surfing at the time. Stability can be summarised as good on fully formed waves and a little worrying in choppy water. Is the speed worth it? Probably. I'm rarely reluctant to get out for a training session.

Now for tracking versus turning. The keel has very little rocker so inch-perfect tracking in calm conditions comes as no surprise. When the wind and waves go into that awkward area behind the shoulders, dropping the skeg maintains good forward progress. The Sirius is more friendly than most boats in a following sea. Given the straight-line running, manoeuvrability is pleasing but barely enough for rock slalom. Although setting this narrow boat on edge is quite easy and undramatic, it's hard to get more than a 70 degree turn from a big reverse sweep. The Sirius skids or carves turns depending on the amount of edge and responds well to stern rudders and draw strokes. In choppy conditions, timid sweeps yield a steady turn even if edging is forgotten. In my opinion, the tracking against turning compromise has been judged well by P&H.

Any fast boat which goes sideways with relative ease is likely to weathercock and the Sirius is no exception despite its reasonably low windage. The Sirius ferry-glides across a head wind and, though better than flat-bottomed boats, makes quite a bit of leeway in a side wind. I have not managed to prevent weather-cocking by edging, either because of the narrow hull or because of my incompetence, but the drop-down skeg is superb. It stays put, doesn't flutter and eliminates weather-cocking.

Inverting the Sirius doesn't have to be a disaster even though its hard to grip the boat with the knees. The narrow hull and low back deck facilitate rolls, and paddle-float re-entries are reasonably easy, with threading the paddle under deck lines as the hardest part. Climbing on to the back deck takes no effort whatever - waves seemed to put me there - and turning into the cockpit is simple because of its length. A lot of water gets in but there is not much width for it to slop around so the boat feels steady as pumping out proceeds. While tightening the deck lines after a practice session, I discovered that the deck fittings screw down into fibre glass. Do not over-tighten!

Finally, some details. The hull is easy to lift at either end, with or without the non-slapping toggles, and the cockpit rim is thickened at the balance point for lifting and for short shoulder carries. The seat is the most comfortable I have found in any kind of composite boat and, at five feet ten, I can just get my legs into the boat while seated. On warm spring evenings, when the water temperature is low, the Kajaksport day hatch can be a swine to open despite anti-vacuum perforations in the bulkheads. I'd prefer a round VCP hatch behind the cockpit.

The knee position is odd being neither high nor wide. In the circumstances, the thigh grip gestures are inadequate and by far the boat's worst feature. Given their impact on boat handling, particularly on edging and rolling, where there is some room for improvement, my final conclusion might have been different if P&H provided meaty mouldings as an option for white water converts. Foam additions help but cannot give the same control as solid, down-curved thigh grips.

I have yet to make a long journey in the Sirius, which is a shame as the boat has clearly been designed for easy progress while carrying a fair load. I cannot tout these notes as a review because I have failed to try the boat in its best role, but a small cargo appears to tame the Sirius without much compromise on speed. On warm summer evenings I tend to take any opportunity for an hour on the water, partly because the boat flows along so well and partly because close control is always just around the corner. With those points in mind, here is my impression after six months as an owner. Although gorgeous, easily-driven, responsive, well-made and comfortable the Sirius has quirks which reduce its suitability as a day boat for the average paddler. Which is probably what you, after one look at the hull, expected me to say!

PS    I am not planning a sale but careful paddlers are welcome to try my Sirius. Club members paddle a wide range of interesting kayaks and I would like to read their views on their own boats. Boat design is fascinating.

A Word About Skegs      Next Item      Back to Top

Most sea-kayaks have them and yet so often they are used in a binary fashion, either fully in or out of the water but so rarely in-between. What is this magic device that is fitted to all "new" sea-kayaks? Why does my kayak STILL not go straight even though it IS fully in the water? If only it did not jam so often!

The answers are all very simple to explain when you look at the design of your kayak and what effects your skeg has. However, it is worth going "back to basics." Leaning slightly into wind, paddling with a wider stroke on the windward side or adjusting your grip on the shaft are the "old ways" of combating wind on the side of a kayak. A skeg simple allows you to focus on "just paddling" instead of lots of frustrated paddling.

In "simple" words. The skeg moves the turning point of your kayak to the back of the kayak the more you have it in the water.

WHAT does that actually mean? As we are sometimes only too aware kayaks have a "natural" tendency to face into wind. This is thanks to the design and the way they feel comfortable to paddle. The turn point is about the centre of the kayak (Point A in the drawing) and often actually just where your knees lie. Because your body is behind this point and it is high up in the air [relative to the kayak] you act like a weathervane and cause the stern of the kayak to be pushed backwards, allowing the kayak to face into wind. (Please note that is a very basic explanation!)

The skeg can be lowered to counteract the effect of your body turning the kayak. If you allow just a small amount of the skeg into the water it will only effect the kayak slightly and move the turning point aft. If the kayak is still turning into wind drop more of the skeg into the water. Eventually you will go too far. The skeg will be fully in the water and the turning point will be where the skeg is fitted (Point B in the drawing). Since there is now plenty of kayak in front of the turn point it will have the effect of making the kayak turn away from the wind. Not what you wanted probably. Try it out next time you are on the water.

The other problem with having the skeg in the water is that this can cause a slight reduction in speed. Ever tried paddling backwards with the skeg down? As has already been explained the kayak will turn about the skeg. This now means it will turn about the "front" and may feel very peculiar.

The skeg is usually fitted in a small "box-channel" at the rear of the kayak. They jam (or do not work) for usually just two reasons, there is something blocking the skeg from dropping or the movement assembly is restricted in some way.

• The first problem is usually caused by small stones getting between the skeg and the box it is in. So look for a skeg that allows others to grip the blade whilst you are at sea so they can pull it down. Another suggestion (though not often seen) is to drill a small hole in the blade very close to the end where the skeg can just be reached by a tool made up in an L shape. This can then be used (again by your fellow passengers on your cruise) to reach the skeg and yank it down. Some paddlers, knowing they have a problem skeg, carry a screwdriver to allow someone to probe for the stones. Once the skeg is out any other stones tend to drop free.

• The second problem can be difficult to fix as some of it comes from the design of the skeg and release mechanism itself. The first skeg designs used a rope that runs over the deck of the kayak and relies on a piece of elastic to lower or raise it. Let the rope go and the elastic pulls the skeg down. Problems here can be in the form or simple solutions such as making sure the cord on the deck is not jammed between deck fittings, split paddles or other items that may be found on the rear deck. If you find yourself not knowing if the skeg is up or down try marking the cord with a marker pen. Lines at 1cm intervals can go a long way to making life with your skeg a happier one. The elastic itself can also wear over time leading to further problems. The other common method to drop the skeg is a cable. This is usually fitted in a similar way to a break-cable, where both ends of an outer cable are fixed, one end at the skeg the other at a handle or similar. This system usually has the cable running through the bulkhead where there is a potential for leakage. Another area that can cause problems is each end of the outer cable. If this becomes disconnected at either end then the skeg will not be able to be lowered.
  
• If the control is behind you then it is much more difficult to see if the skeg is supposed to be up or down. There may be a way of moving it forward or to a point where it can be seen more easily. Some designs have a cord that runs past the cockpit area. Remember that this may interfere if you wish to get out of the kayak in a hurry.

Next time you are out in your kayak have a look at other peoples skegs. Ask them some questions, see if you can have a go in their kayak and maybe try out your own skeg a little more. There is more to having a skeg than just dropping it in the water!

Ferry Gliding and Transits    Next Item      Back to Top

It is all too easy to listen to the leader at the beginning of a trip and wonder, "How do they know all this?" or "If we want to go over there (there being to the left) why are we heading the wrong way?" Perhaps the leader will say at the beginning "we will head off on bearing 215^o" only for them to change their mind 15 minutes later. The reasons are actually very simple indeed. It is all thanks to wind and tide. What the leader is doing is based on a principle called Ferry Gliding and using Transits to locate the exact position of the group.

Figure 1 shows an area of water that has a current of water flowing over it. (The scale is unimportant at this stage.) If we assume that the paddler at point A wishes to head across to point B we can see two objects that just happen to line up. This is called taking a Transit.

A Transit is where we look at two fixed objects (or we tend to hope they are fixed!). If we then draw a line between them it will end at the point we are located. If the one at the back appears to move right then in fact it is US that has moved right. The opposite is also true if it moves left. It is then a simple case of altering course to maintain this straight line along A-B.

If the paddler heads straight for point B they will get pushed in the direction of point C. This is because the water will push them in that direction. In the perfect world of the chart room the compass bearing will then be set as if aiming for Point D, i.e. the distance from B-C is the same as that from B-D. But whilst following the compass bearing our paddler will all the time be looking at the two points that line up on the course A-B. If they move then the bearing is incorrect for the conditions at that time and may need to be changed. But if the points stay in line you are always going to follow the course A-B.

Changes may be needed due to a number of factors

• the tide getting stronger or weaker
• an increase/decrease in windspeed
• variations in kayak speed.

This last factor is one often forgotten. It is worth taking into consideration how often the group wish to stop for a coffee and if the weather gets worse they may wish to stop more often.

This principle of seeming to aim off course is called Ferry Gliding. It is able to be practised on many areas of water around the Portsmouth area, Langstone Harbour entrance is probably the easiest and safest to start "playing," so long as the tide is coming IN.

Along the way from A-B we can see a second line is drawn. This is where a second transit can be taken. The point where both transits line up will give you an exact position of where you are. Those into walking may also call it Triangulation but this also tends to involve a compass. The Americans call it a Range.

Using Transits is so common between club members that it can often seem that many people are giving advice to the leader, "We are hardly moving", "We are going backwards" or worse "Where the heck are we?" This is simply because they are all using transits OR may not be using any at all, usually the latter. In a bay, out to sea it is all too common to think you are either not moving or even going backwards. When far from shore it seems to take forever to get to the next headland. Lobster pots are great indicators of tidal flow when no poles exist but even when they are not close they can be useful. Look at a lobster pot, or similar floating object, to one side of you and line it up with the shore line far away. If the land appears to be moving the same way you are paddling (in other words the bouy appears to be moving backwards) then you are going forwards. Obviously it is important that you are dealing with two fixed objects and only you are the one moving.

The reply to "Where the heck are we?" is easily done by taking two transits. With a chart on the deck it can be a simple matter to prove exactly where you are, without the aid of GPS or even a compass.

When making open crossings, such as to the Isle of Wight, Transits are an essential part of navigational skills. Next time you cross the Solent line up the forts with many different parts of the shore behind and see how the group is progressing. At the same time you will probably be Ferry Gliding across due to the current moving West – East or East – West.

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Paddling in a wind         Next Item      Back to Top

We get the forecast and predict, with apprehension, that we "will be able to cope with that!" How does the wind really effect our speed? A quick guide to help out.

*if you are fit and in very short periods only