On Thu, 31 Oct 2002, Davis, Stephen G FOR:EX wrote: > Hi I'm looking for reviews on the PH Capella (poly). Has anybody had any > experience with this boat? In particular how does it compare to other boats > in it's genre? CD Gulfstream, Sirocco, BD Ellesmere, ect.... I have one made in 1996 that I bought used 3 years ago, as my first kayak. It was pretty beat up, but it's still my favorite of the boats I own - WS Alto and QCC 600. (The QCC 600 is a very fine boat, but I believe I'm a bit too big/heavy for it.) I haven't paddled the other boats you mentioned, so I can't give you any comparisons. You didn't mention how you want to use it, so I'll just offer the context I've used it in and maybe there will something useful to you. I'm 6-feet, 195 lbs, and paddle mostly lakes and biggish rivers; I've just started playing in the Chesapeake Bay and have been out in waves up to about 2 feet. The only modifications I made were to add beefy rubber thigh pads under the deck and just last month I shaped foam into the cockpit on either side of my hips. I've been edging the boat for turns and control since the beginning and the thigh pads were a big help there. This year I've started rolling, and the foam is a help in that effort. I've always been pleased with the way the Cappella handles. It responds easily and quickly to edging and to paddle strokes like a bow rudder or a hanging draw. My first ventures into the waves were a pleasant surprise as I felt reassured by the way it cut through the oncoming ones and didn't toss me out on the ones from the side! I've spent many hours at a time in the standard-issue seat and it has been comfortable to me. For me, it sits and rides well in the water when it is empty or nearly so with a minimum of gear. I've taken it camping several times, and while I'm about at the minimum of freeboard, it still handles well, just a bit slower. For camping, I've taken in for 3 days on the Delaware River and for 5 days on the Current River (Missouri). I had to carry all the gear for myself and for my 13-year-old daughter who could carry very little in her WS Piccolo. I managed to pack quite a bit of gear in there including some luxury items like 2 collapsible sling chairs. I did have to put the sleeping bags in a big dry bag lashed onto the rear deck, but it made a great backrest for on-water lounging breaks. <g> The skeg box hampers packing some, but not greatly. Of course, you lose some real estate because of it. Speaking of the skeg, this is the only problem area I've encountered and it may be due to the age of the boat. Mine uses a braided cable running from the skeg to a sliding control on the right side of the cockpit. The cable path was through 3 or 4 little (2-inch by 2-inch) plastic squares that were glued to the inside of the upper hull and had a cylindrical passage for the cable to pass through. The idea is to work kind of like the brake cables on a bicycle - when you move the slider back, the cable tries to buckle out and away from the hull, but being constrained by the little plastic squares, it moves backwards instead and acts upon the hinged skeg. Well, my little plastic squares started popping off and the cable just buckled inside the hull. This happened in the first month that I used the boat and I learned that I could manage without the skeg, so I've never gotten around to trying to re-position and re-glue the little plastic squares. Perhaps there has been a redesign since my old boat was made. I do know that a year or so ago, they started making the Cappella in a triple layer plastic. A good idea as far as I'm concerned. Mine could use some more stiffness under the cockpit. There are two bulkheads with hatches. Both of my rubber hatch covers could stand replacement now; the are started to crack and dry rot. I don't get any water in the front hatch but I do get some in the rear hatch. I don't know if water gets in from the hatch cover or if it is leaking into the hatch from the cockpit area, as I do know there is a small leak between the bulkhead and the bottom of the hull. Even though I use a neoprene skirt, some water still gets into the cockpit when I roll. It may be leaking back into the hatch. It was my first, but I still love the boat, despite its age-related flaws. We should all be so lucky. - Paul Peeling *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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