[Equipment cont.]
So I set about reading about kayaks on various websites like L.L.Bean, Amazon, Old Town Canoe, and Paddling.net. There's lots of reviews available out there on specific makes and models. Our goals were to use the boats for exploration on freshwater streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes. We wanted maneuverability and stability (having been freaked out by the tippiness of a canoe we once owned). We were not particularly interested in speed and distance records, nor in kayaking in saltwater, which for us is the bone-chilling north Atlantic.
At the same time, I had finally located a trailer capable of towing four kayaks (see the tale of the trailer), but probably not any 16 or 18 footers. 12 maybe. 14 would be pushing it. So the 10 foot 6 inch Old Town Dirigo 106 caught my eye. The price was on the lower end, as kayaks go. Not the rock bottom cheapest, because we did want some features. We wanted waterproof storage compartments for a change of clothes, phones, cameras, and snacks. And we were willing to invest in the best seats to accommodate my wife's back problems (and keep me and our daughters from developing any). This boat seemed to offer a good blend of features vs. price, and buying four in one whack is a chunk of change.
Here's the thing about kayak reviews. For every boat you read about, there are people who swear it's the most stable thing on the planet, and people who tipped over, nearly drowned, cried, and returned it because it was such a horrible experience. So I really couldn't find any that had a unanimous vote of confidence. But, over time, I could see trends developing, and I was wary of boats where I found the same specific point warned of 2, 3, or more times.
I wanted a bargain, and so I had been scouring Craigslist, and set it up to notify me on my iPhone app when any listings fitting my criteria popped up. I was also racing to get the trailer to the point in the renovations where it could actually carry a kayak if I found a deal. I was half hoping NOT to find a bargain too soon, or I'd have the frustration of foregoing a deal with no way to get it home.
Additionally, my wife and I had heard of the legendary Old Town Factory Outlet sale in Old Town, Maine. Grand tales of people going up and buying "factory-blemished" boats in batches of four, or eight, or twenty. Stories of people driving from Canada. So one day, on a scouting mission, we stopped by the Old Town Factory Store as we were heading back from the state middle school jazz festival in Millinocket (our daughter plays trombone). We got some education.
Old Town's factory blemished boats, or "blems" in trade-lingo, simply have cosmetic defects. Functionally, they are a-ok. When I stood there and looked at them, I couldn't detect anything objectionable. I have to take their word for it that there even was a problem. The pricing on the blem boats is always lower than retail. If the defect is too great, they just melt the boat back down and remold it into a new one - so they never sell off really messed up kayaks any more. They had two Dirigo 106s that day, and my wife was chomping at the bit to buy them on the spot, but the trailer was nowhere near ready, and we would've had to drive all the way from Old Town to Winslow and back (1.5 hours each way). So we waited.
They also explained a change in the annual factory sale. It was no more, essentially. The network of Old Town dealers had complained, plausibly I feel, that the big mega-sale hurt their business throughout the state. So this year, the sale of blems was to be through a select number of dealers, and in fact, the distribution of blemished boats to the dealers had already begun.
I went home and we began coordinating our finances and the completion of the trailer rebuild to be ready in time for the big factory sale weekend. Also, I identified all the dealers participating and began calling them to find out about opening times, prices, and other details for the big day. I was startled to find a wide range of details. One dealer in Bangor had "sale" prices that were higher than the regular factory outlet prices. Another, in Lewiston, had already sold out, before the big sale day. They said every spring, they go up and get one big truckload to sell off and that's it. They don't restock.
So I set about reading about kayaks on various websites like L.L.Bean, Amazon, Old Town Canoe, and Paddling.net. There's lots of reviews available out there on specific makes and models. Our goals were to use the boats for exploration on freshwater streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes. We wanted maneuverability and stability (having been freaked out by the tippiness of a canoe we once owned). We were not particularly interested in speed and distance records, nor in kayaking in saltwater, which for us is the bone-chilling north Atlantic.
At the same time, I had finally located a trailer capable of towing four kayaks (see the tale of the trailer), but probably not any 16 or 18 footers. 12 maybe. 14 would be pushing it. So the 10 foot 6 inch Old Town Dirigo 106 caught my eye. The price was on the lower end, as kayaks go. Not the rock bottom cheapest, because we did want some features. We wanted waterproof storage compartments for a change of clothes, phones, cameras, and snacks. And we were willing to invest in the best seats to accommodate my wife's back problems (and keep me and our daughters from developing any). This boat seemed to offer a good blend of features vs. price, and buying four in one whack is a chunk of change.
Here's the thing about kayak reviews. For every boat you read about, there are people who swear it's the most stable thing on the planet, and people who tipped over, nearly drowned, cried, and returned it because it was such a horrible experience. So I really couldn't find any that had a unanimous vote of confidence. But, over time, I could see trends developing, and I was wary of boats where I found the same specific point warned of 2, 3, or more times.
I wanted a bargain, and so I had been scouring Craigslist, and set it up to notify me on my iPhone app when any listings fitting my criteria popped up. I was also racing to get the trailer to the point in the renovations where it could actually carry a kayak if I found a deal. I was half hoping NOT to find a bargain too soon, or I'd have the frustration of foregoing a deal with no way to get it home.
Additionally, my wife and I had heard of the legendary Old Town Factory Outlet sale in Old Town, Maine. Grand tales of people going up and buying "factory-blemished" boats in batches of four, or eight, or twenty. Stories of people driving from Canada. So one day, on a scouting mission, we stopped by the Old Town Factory Store as we were heading back from the state middle school jazz festival in Millinocket (our daughter plays trombone). We got some education.
Old Town's factory blemished boats, or "blems" in trade-lingo, simply have cosmetic defects. Functionally, they are a-ok. When I stood there and looked at them, I couldn't detect anything objectionable. I have to take their word for it that there even was a problem. The pricing on the blem boats is always lower than retail. If the defect is too great, they just melt the boat back down and remold it into a new one - so they never sell off really messed up kayaks any more. They had two Dirigo 106s that day, and my wife was chomping at the bit to buy them on the spot, but the trailer was nowhere near ready, and we would've had to drive all the way from Old Town to Winslow and back (1.5 hours each way). So we waited.
They also explained a change in the annual factory sale. It was no more, essentially. The network of Old Town dealers had complained, plausibly I feel, that the big mega-sale hurt their business throughout the state. So this year, the sale of blems was to be through a select number of dealers, and in fact, the distribution of blemished boats to the dealers had already begun.
I went home and we began coordinating our finances and the completion of the trailer rebuild to be ready in time for the big factory sale weekend. Also, I identified all the dealers participating and began calling them to find out about opening times, prices, and other details for the big day. I was startled to find a wide range of details. One dealer in Bangor had "sale" prices that were higher than the regular factory outlet prices. Another, in Lewiston, had already sold out, before the big sale day. They said every spring, they go up and get one big truckload to sell off and that's it. They don't restock.
In the interim, a Craigslist deal popped up. A used Dirigo 106 angler edition, with fishing rod holder and anchor features. Red. Of an older vintage, but still the right model. At that point, the trailer had no functioning lights and merely a flat sheet of 3/4 inch plywood on it. But I leapt at the chance, hitched it up, and drove the winding roads of rural Maine to Chesterville. There I met a friendly guy, checked out the kayak, and bought it for a mere $350. It came with the paddle, and a life jacket, and he threw in a universal roof rack mount. I lashed it down to the flat plywood with some rolled blankets under it to keep it off the wood, and drove back along Route 2, hoping I wouldn't get stopped for no trailer lights after dark and stopping frequently to check straps for fear of it sliding off and going from a deal to a total loss. I made it home, and had one in the bag (or the basement as it was).
|
In time, I finally identified a dealer in Rockport, who had three more Dirigo 106 XTs (with the better quality seat) in stock on the eve of the big sale. And had prices that matched my expectations of blemished boats being sold at a sale - $525 a piece. I questioned them about how the sale would go down, wondering it there'd be a stampede on opening morning. I feared that I'd play hooky from work and drive all the way to Rockport only to have them bought out from under my nose. The store employee suggested that I could buy them a day early, but I'd have to pay full price, $50 higher per boat - or $150 total. I decided to gamble.
So on sale day I headed out. The trailer was still just a flat sheet of plywood on wheels. I took a LOT of straps. I got there before official opening time, and it really wasn't that bad. The focus of the sale was a truckload that had been brought in special and laid out on the lawn. Not the boats I was looking for. And the people were dawdlers. Non-specific. Hadn't decided what they wanted or didn't know what to look for. I was like a laser. I went right up to the guy I'd talked to on the phone and said, "I'm Tom and I want the three boats." Well, he was kind enough to show me inside before official opening time and we picked out three Dirigo 106s and tagged them "sold" with my name. The risk part was over. We picked four paddles.
So on sale day I headed out. The trailer was still just a flat sheet of plywood on wheels. I took a LOT of straps. I got there before official opening time, and it really wasn't that bad. The focus of the sale was a truckload that had been brought in special and laid out on the lawn. Not the boats I was looking for. And the people were dawdlers. Non-specific. Hadn't decided what they wanted or didn't know what to look for. I was like a laser. I went right up to the guy I'd talked to on the phone and said, "I'm Tom and I want the three boats." Well, he was kind enough to show me inside before official opening time and we picked out three Dirigo 106s and tagged them "sold" with my name. The risk part was over. We picked four paddles.
Boy, it was a pretty precarious ride back, with three slippery, streamlined kayaks lashed to a flat plywood trailer. Kayaks are graceful on water, but about the most awkward things imaginable on land. I stopped even more frequently than on my trip to acquire "old red". There was harrowing moment when I took off from a parking lot, neglecting to tie up the loose surplus strap on one side. It caught under the wheel of the trailer and...well...fortunately the strap was weaker than the kayak hulls, and the strap snapped right off. I felt like a big idiot and like I'd dodged a bullet. A glance around the service station parking lot revealed that nobody seemed to be judging me. I made it home with all three intact, and the shopping portion of our kayaking adventures was at a close, thank God.
|
So, how are they? Well,
Pros:
Price. I'm not saying kayaks are dirt cheap. $525 is a pretty hefty tab. But they are some of the most affordable boats I've seen. And they're a lot cheaper than a camp. With these every lake and river in Maine is yours for the day without the property taxes, costs of maintenance, and neighbor disputes. And the Dirigos have a LOT of features.
Dirigo 106XT at LL Bean online: $650
Dirigo 106 (cheaper seat) at Amazon: $550
Dirigo 106XT blem at annual sale (in the right place): $525
Dirigo 106XT Angler Edition, used on Craigslist - $350 with paddle, vest, and rack.
So you can see that shopping around can pay off, especially if you're buying four. My advice is don't shy away from blemished boats. The first time you take these out, they'll get scratched - by the trailer, or the straps, or the ground, or rocks or gravel in the stream, or a submerged log. Ours are heftily scratched up at this point. The new ones match my used one. Forget about it. My goal with my kayak is to actually wear it out. Not to keep it pretty. I'm just saying, if you live in Maine, don't pay full price.
Easy to maneuver.
A forty-two year old man with a desk-job can carry and load them by himself. 45lbs.
Short length makes them easy to transport.
Very, very stable. I think all the reviewers that suggest these are tippy at all must be as clumsy as Chevy Chase playing Gerald Ford or Inspector Clouseau. Understand, all kayaks (and watercraft) tip somewhat in response to motion. But I find these far more stable than a canoe, since your center of gravity is lower. The most dangerous part is getting in and out, which takes a little technique. Once you're paddling, they feel stable.
Waterproof compartments are amply sized and work great
Cons:
Takes practice to track straight. I imagine longer boats stay straight easier, especially in current and wind, but honestly, these are the only kayaks I've tried for any length of time.
And now, my final advice if you're new to kayaking like me. Give it a chance. Multiple chances. My first time out I was a little dismayed. I wondered if we'd made a big financial mistake. I was frustrated by my original trailer design. It took forever to load. I felt like I was working too hard to paddle. I felt like I couldn't keep a straight course. My back hurt. It was early in the season and kind of gray and brown and ugly on the stream.
Second time out, with improved trailer, green vegetation, more wildlife, proper seat adjustment, and more education, it was like a whole new experience. And it was great.
I recommend watching every YouTube video you can about paddling technique. There's lots of them, and they're very good. The advice really does help. Just like riding a bike, every time you go out you feel more stable and the process is more intuitive. The brain just has to program itself.
Now I rarely think about the mechanics of my paddle stroke - only if I come to a place where I want maximum power or really want to turn on the speed. Then I have to recall the advice about turning my torso and paddling with my back muscles. Turning, backing, and correcting course have become next to natural in one season.
I hope this tale has been informative and inspiring. Happy paddling!
[back to Paddling Maine]
[back to The Equipment]
[back to KennebecTom Home]
Pros:
Price. I'm not saying kayaks are dirt cheap. $525 is a pretty hefty tab. But they are some of the most affordable boats I've seen. And they're a lot cheaper than a camp. With these every lake and river in Maine is yours for the day without the property taxes, costs of maintenance, and neighbor disputes. And the Dirigos have a LOT of features.
Dirigo 106XT at LL Bean online: $650
Dirigo 106 (cheaper seat) at Amazon: $550
Dirigo 106XT blem at annual sale (in the right place): $525
Dirigo 106XT Angler Edition, used on Craigslist - $350 with paddle, vest, and rack.
So you can see that shopping around can pay off, especially if you're buying four. My advice is don't shy away from blemished boats. The first time you take these out, they'll get scratched - by the trailer, or the straps, or the ground, or rocks or gravel in the stream, or a submerged log. Ours are heftily scratched up at this point. The new ones match my used one. Forget about it. My goal with my kayak is to actually wear it out. Not to keep it pretty. I'm just saying, if you live in Maine, don't pay full price.
Easy to maneuver.
A forty-two year old man with a desk-job can carry and load them by himself. 45lbs.
Short length makes them easy to transport.
Very, very stable. I think all the reviewers that suggest these are tippy at all must be as clumsy as Chevy Chase playing Gerald Ford or Inspector Clouseau. Understand, all kayaks (and watercraft) tip somewhat in response to motion. But I find these far more stable than a canoe, since your center of gravity is lower. The most dangerous part is getting in and out, which takes a little technique. Once you're paddling, they feel stable.
Waterproof compartments are amply sized and work great
Cons:
Takes practice to track straight. I imagine longer boats stay straight easier, especially in current and wind, but honestly, these are the only kayaks I've tried for any length of time.
And now, my final advice if you're new to kayaking like me. Give it a chance. Multiple chances. My first time out I was a little dismayed. I wondered if we'd made a big financial mistake. I was frustrated by my original trailer design. It took forever to load. I felt like I was working too hard to paddle. I felt like I couldn't keep a straight course. My back hurt. It was early in the season and kind of gray and brown and ugly on the stream.
Second time out, with improved trailer, green vegetation, more wildlife, proper seat adjustment, and more education, it was like a whole new experience. And it was great.
I recommend watching every YouTube video you can about paddling technique. There's lots of them, and they're very good. The advice really does help. Just like riding a bike, every time you go out you feel more stable and the process is more intuitive. The brain just has to program itself.
Now I rarely think about the mechanics of my paddle stroke - only if I come to a place where I want maximum power or really want to turn on the speed. Then I have to recall the advice about turning my torso and paddling with my back muscles. Turning, backing, and correcting course have become next to natural in one season.
I hope this tale has been informative and inspiring. Happy paddling!
[back to Paddling Maine]
[back to The Equipment]
[back to KennebecTom Home]