P&H Capella 166 for sale

[Kilry]

A good all round sea kayak which is a great first boat; I have two and have been using them to get my family started in the sport, being stable and easy to paddle. This one is in very good condition and I am only selling it to help pay for my new Nordkapp fund! I am hoping for about £750 or as near as is reasonable and I am willing to deliver it to anywhere in Angus or West Perthshire. I live near a good sized loch if you want to try it out before buying.

[nereus60]

I believe you may have sold your RM166 by now. However, I am thinking of buying one from a friend as an entry into sea kayaking. The friend is not experienced as a sea paddler so cannot really tell me much about the boat and how it behaves.
I have paddled on and off for 45 years, but only in 4m long slalom boats and the only sea paddling I've done was in surf (when I was 35 years younger). You evidently enjoyed your RM166, but I wonder if you can tell me why you are changing to another boat? If I get into heavy surf in it, is it likely to fold? We used to put 4" thick blocks of polystyrene front and back to stop the fibreglass boats collapsing in surf - is this necessary on these RM boats? What negatives do you have with the RM166? I am rather short, 5' 6", so wonder if the seat raises at all for the shorter paddler.

I see you mention Nordkapp - is that your destination? We were up there in 2008 but by yacht rather than kayak. We found some fantastic places for camping/exploration. Let me know if you want details.

[Kilry]

The RM Capellas are very robust, they have solid foam bulkheads which are water tight; these and the triple layer construction make for virtually indestructible kayaks, so you will be quite safe in heavy surf. I have surfed frequently in Capellas and found them to be very good, with the slight drawbacks of being a bit slow to accelerate to catch waves and you may need to pop your weight back at times to avoid the bow nose diving, unless that is what you are trying to do. I use pre-cut foam blocks to help pad out the boat for my wife and daughter. Both are very slim and about 5'6" and need that extra padding to get the boat to fit, but I have the peace of mind that these boats are easy for novices to get out off and into should the need arise. They may be a bit big for you without the padding, depending on your build (I am 5'8"). I would see the Capella as a good general purpose boat, capable of serious expeditions- I have paddled frequently on the West and East coasts of Scotland in them and found them very easy to paddle and capable of carrying all the gear you could ever want. Finally, I have changed to a Nordkapp LV (hence the Nordkapp fund reference) because I was looking for a more receptive kayak, as my skills improved and the types of expeditions I am planning.

[Kilry]

Still for sale

[Kilry]

Now sold