Boreal
Vaag review
About the reviewer:
Doug Aitken – 185 cm, 83kg. Using this boat for a combination of day trips
around Banks Peninsula, overnight trips on Banks Peninsula, longer 3-5 night
trips, and open crossings. 7 years sea kayaking experience, previous owner of
around 10 sea kayaks, NZOIA Sea Kayak Instructor.
Cockpit Outfitting
The foam seat is glued in and is as comfy as I have experienced – the back rest
is one of the major controversial things about this boat – it is a solid foam
block. The longest I have been in this boat so far without getting out is 3
hours. At the end of this I was pushing my feet past the pedals and taking the
pressure off my lower back, but was not sore. With the system it is possible to
lean far back before hitting the back of the cockpit. This is beneficial for
back deck rolls and hand rolls.
The foam is comfy in the thigh braces. When there was a bit of water in the
cockpit and I was pushing hard on the foot pegs whilst surfing I found there
wasn’t much purchase, and my leg slipped. I guess this is the case with any
system that doesn’t have white-water type thigh braces.
Hatches
The main hatches front and back, are fine – they have been totally dry after a
very wet surfing session. The day hatch, the second main controversial thing
about this boat, is in the centre of the boat, rather than the usual offset. I
don’t know about you but I don’t turn round to look into the day hatch unless
it is very calm. So far I have found this centred system fine; the day hatch is
actually bigger than I’m used to – so there is plenty of room to get both hands
rummaging around for what you’re looking for. The one down side I can see it
there is not as much room to get longer things in, such as a pump.
The fore deck hatch. I know some people don’t like them, but I’ve decided I do.
In the 5 or 6 times I’ve been out so far I’ve used it for my VHF, a small water
bottle, cereal bars, sweets, and a waterproof camera.
Speed
The speed was much as I expected. Its faster than my 5m plastic boat
(obviously) and not as fast as my previous glass boat which was 5.5m long and
54cm wide. For me, this boat is fast enough for any trips, short fast bursts,
or open crossings that I choose to do.
Stability
I’ve been out in my boat in fairly choppy water – not big or scary but a bit
choppy. I did find it reassuringly solid. I think it’s because of its fairly
flat hull and hard chines that gives it good primary stability. There have been
a few times that I’ve been happy to take my hands off my paddle and take photos
when I think in other boats I would have been hanging onto the paddle!
Hull Shape
The hull shape is a thing of beauty! Have a look at one of these boats on a
flat bit of ground and you’ll see that the back third of the boat is off the
ground. As well as looking good it means when you lean the boat hard all this
stern section is out of the water – meaning the boat turns very well. I’ve
heard the hull described as hard chined with the edges rounded off. Pushing
into waves can be an issue in flat hulled boat, giving a ‘slap’ each time you
hit the water but I didn’t experience that with this boat – its is not overly
flat hulled toward the bow.
Control
The boat seemed to push into a quartering wind well and didn’t need the skeg .
With such little boat deep in the water behind the seat it was expected to have
to use quite a bit of skeg going downwind. The skeg did its job though, so no
dramas.
The boat comes into its own when making tight turns. It turns as tightly as any
sea kayak I’ve paddled, which is one of the main reasons I like it so much.
This combined with the high primary stability make it a great boat for playing
in!
Finish
There are some nice finishing touches such as the deck lines are interwoven
with reflective strip, and the Vaag decals are highly reflective. The carrying
handles are held off to one side by the elastic – seems to work fine. The skeg
slider is a bit further out the way than I’m used to, but the trade-off is I haven’t
even come close to banging my hand against it whilst paddling. When using it I
have found it to feel solid and smooth. The general gel coat finish seems to be
great. At the front of the foredeck is a loop which i assume is designed for a
greenland paddle - which gives a hint to the origins of this boat.
Conclusion
So far I am very happy with my new boat. It has been just what I’ve been
looking for; playful, small enough for a day boat, but big enough for trips,
great manoeuvrability, good stability from a flat hull, which also means it
surfs very well. And of course, it looks great!
