jonsprag1 Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Has anybody tried this nigel foster designed boat---I saw one at MaineSport yesterday and immeadiatly had the hots for it. Seems like the ultimate day boat(as opposed to expedition) 16+ feet, 19.5 inches, 42 lbs---also googled it and got confused on the specs---read on the net it was 16'8" but the sign in the shop said 16'0"--also net said 44 lbs---has anybody tried this boat out yet--or better yet has anybody bought one---when I asked about rental for a day was told that I could try it in their pond outback but no rental to go to the ocean(only one they had) the sales clerk kind of smiled and said he didn't expect anyone to pay the 3455.00 price until they had tried it on the ocean in conditions.---anybody know where I could rent one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken C Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I paddled one that Linda S had one some years back. I am unsure of who the builder was then. As a smaller guy myself i really liked it. It is however NOT for the inattentive, and the boat does not really know the words "primary stability". Very lively, seemed pretty fast for a shorter boat also, edged nicely and rolled like a snap! Being padded out for Linda i wasn't able to really get comfortable in it so stayed out of the real surf but did find it accelerated quickly if you caught a swell. Perhaps she'll check in or Brian will have more detailed feedback. Ken C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsprag1 Posted June 18, 2007 Author Share Posted June 18, 2007 how small do you have to be to fit into the boat---I noticed it was a small cockpit --I'm 6'0" 178 or so---too big? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suz Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I test paddled the new one quickly last year at OR. It is really for the smaller paddler, longer leg lenghts need not apply! I saw some skinny tall people trying to get out and having to dump to wiggle out. When I saw you questioning it, I immediately thought that if you could fit in it, then your Tempest 170 must be huge. Suz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsprag1 Posted June 18, 2007 Author Share Posted June 18, 2007 didn't try to fit into it---just saw it on the shelf and was smitten---no the 170 doesn't feel huge to me although I paddled an Impex force cat 4 saturday---longer than my boat but a little narrower---and much more responsive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcohn Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I sat in one out of curiosity at the paddle sports show. I fit in ok (6’ 1”, 175 lb), but don’t remember just how tight it was. While the boat has been described by CD as follows, “The snug fit and slim profile also make it an excellent rolling kayak.” The high rear deck would only allow someone with excellent back flexibility to use it for advanced rolls. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Nystrom Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 ...it's definitely a boat for small people with good skills. As Ken said, it has very little primary stability and not much more secondary, so it's a boat that you have to actively balance all the time. Linda has good skills, but finds it "challenging" at times. In case you didn't see it in the specs, the beam is ~19" and the chines rise up quickly from the center of the boat, so the widest area of the hull is rather short. The keel line is either straight or has a slight negative rocker (concave in the middle, something Nigel Foster did in others of his designs), but I haven't seen had it on a flat enough surface to be sure which. As for paddler size, I can fit my butt in the seat, but my feet hit the bulkhead before I can get fully seated. It's really recommended for paddlers 150# and under, and Linda doesn't have a lot of freeboard in hers, despite being under 120 pounds. For a heavier paddler, the aft deck would be awash much of the time. For someone your size, a good day boat would be a Current Design Slipstream or an Anas Acuta. They're pretty low volume, but will support your weight adequately and don't have any major handling deficiencies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsprag1 Posted June 19, 2007 Author Share Posted June 19, 2007 sounds like its way too small for me to enjoy---as far as the skill level goes--well maybe--but if it is too small then probably not worth it---just sign me always a bridesmaid, never a bride Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Have you tried out a Nigel Foster Legend? It's in the same family as the Rumour, designed for paddlers including those in your size range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Nystrom Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 ...though not as huge as the Shadow, which could serve as a floating condo for a small family. The Silhouette is the low-ish volume day boat in the NF lineup for average-sized adult male paddlers. I owned one for a couple of years. It's fast, fairly strong tracking and much more stable than the Rumour, though not as stable as an Anas Acuta, Pintail, Romany, Explorer, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 >I saw >one at MaineSport yesterday and immeadiatly had the hots for >it. I saw that one yesterday and it is a real looker with its light green deck. Gail has one and I hope to get some seat time this summer in it as I too think it might be a great play boat. It has lots of foot room, but leg room is tight for people around 6'. I saw a review where it was tested by a 175# paddler who took it on a 5 day trip. He liked it. Foster's boats tend to be sophisticated, high performance hulls. Personally I think they should totally redesign the cockpit and like all Foster boats, the back deck is high. However, it seems to be a dead neutral rocket ship that loves to surf and turns on a dime. It is, as mentioned, a boat for the "active" paddler and not in the mold of the typical Valley and NDK boats. As a well known coach said to me with that infamous grin, "It is a challenging ride." He wants one. Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Nystrom Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 The Rumour has one of the lowest aft decks you'll ever see on a production boat, at least right behind the cockpit. It doesn't "turn on a dime" either, especially with a heavier paddler, since it has no rocker and edging it is a dicey proposition. Nigel's boats are all known for being pretty strong trackers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 >The Rumour has one of the lowest aft decks you'll ever see >on a production boat, Yes, it was a Rumor and I've dealt with Gail's for that matter. I suspect there was some tweaking of the CD Rumor and it sounds different than the one you have. The rear deck at the cockpit is high compared to the Silhouette, in fact the whole cockpit area seems larger than that boat except for the coaming. the front and rear coaming heights are about an inch higher than an AA. It has that odd CD cockpit coaming that is too big to be an OC and too small to be a keyhole. So it has the advantages of neither and the disadvantages of both. On the CD Rumor the distance between the chines is around 17.7" max , there is very little deadrise or flare, and the bottom is a shallow curve to almost flat in the stern. I suspect smaller paddlers and women would find the primary light and the secondary quite good, but for the rest of us the primary is where? and the secondary light. Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grl Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 It's a Ferrari (16' x 19 3/4") that loves to move--yes, it's a challenging ride. Was told to eat my Wheaties before I got into it! I'm small (5'1", 110 lbs) and I cannot wear a water bladder on my PFD when I paddle it. Its stability (primary and secondary) is determined by physical size, and a higher center of gravity affects performance. For me primary is iffy, but secondary is solid. The deck both fore and aft is high. I have a Force 3 with a lower rear deck than the Rumour. It will challenge you to acquire better skills if you don't already have them. If you have them, you will be able use it as it was designed to be used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Nystrom Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 It sounds like they may have changed the deck. Does it look like the one in the picture on their website? It would be interesting to compare Gail's and Linda's boats, as Linda's was made in Holland by Watermark several years before CD started production of them. The coaming size is typical of Nigel Foster Boats; it's the size he designed. I agree that it's a bad size for larger paddlers with typical size legs, but for Linda, we actually turned it into a "mini-keyhole" by adding Minicel thigh braces. There are pics of it in my Webshots albums. As for stability, there isn't any. It's even less stable that our skin boats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 As former Slipstream owners, both Deb and I do not recommend the Slipstream for smaller paddlers -- the cockpit, even padded, is enormous and then some. The initial stability is somewhat lacking although secondary is adequate -- the problem is that the chine is so soft there is no transition zone between upright and "not upright". (One of my instructors compared it to a bleach bottle.) The P&H Vela and the Romany LV are worth taking a look at as are those recommended by Ed and Gail. (Deb and Gail have compared notes on boats for smaller paddlers.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Nystrom Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 That may be true, but the Slipstream would still be a decent day boat for an average-sized adult male. I've paddled one and it was fine, although I recall the aft deck being rather high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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