Re: Fish this with MC-13?

Posted by David Bixby on Jun 2, 2005

Hi Pierce,

If time and money are of the essence and your goal is to own a boat and get out fishing in it, building might not be what you want to do.

A while back, I owned an Old Town Loon plastic kayak in the 13- foot range. I bought it for $200 because it was a slightly beat-up store demo. After another $100.00 worth of paddle and special extra long spray skirt, I was on the water. I don't think you can build a boat like the MC-13 cheaper than this and you certainly won't get out on the water quicker by building. The Loon was very stable and had a similar look and layout to the MC13. I could not capsize it without trying very hard. There are a lot of great used boats out there for sale if you want to save money and get on the water.

Having said that, there are also great reasons to build. I sold my Loon for the same price I bought it for to help pay for a Skerry kit. I wanted a sailboat. I could have bought a used one cheaper than the cost of buiding the kit, but I wanted to BUILD a boat as much as I wanted to sail one. The experience was enjoyable and the sense of satisfaction of being out on the water in a boat you built yourself is a worthwhile thing.

And of course the Loon couldn't hold a candle to the MC-13 when it comes to nice lines and classiness.

I also agree with what Greg is saying about comfort. It takes time to get your body used to the kayaking position and technique. I often chose to go out solo in my 16-foot canoe rather than the Loon because I was more used to the position and technique. Soloing a canoe is not all that comfortable either but it is a postion I have gotten used to over time.

In Response to: Fish this with MC-13? by Pierce Davidson on Jun 1, 2005

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