Two friends have Nordkapp Jubilees and I have enjoyed paddling both when fully loaded, but even with my weight of 85 kg I found them a bit bouncy when unloaded in a chop with wind. I was really looking forward to the arrival of the demo Nordkapp LV from SPS.
This boat really is a thing of beauty. It is smaller all round than the Jubilee and it has a lot of keel rocker and both ends have been substantially thinned. The construction and finish were perfect, easily as good as Rockpool who led the field last year. We are also testing a 2006 Aleut2 which has a similar outstanding finish so this bodes well for Valley's current production. It is also a very light boat, even in standard construction it is lighter than a Rockpool Alaw.
So far it has been tested on three days on the Clyde by RichardC, LizW and myself. 2 of these days involved very gusty cross off winds of up to force8 and one perfect sunny day with no wind.
My first hope that this would be a day boat for larger paddlers was dashed when I tried to fit in it. A combination of a low cockpit with rear mounted thigh grips meant I literally had to force my legs into position. I can't tell you how disappointed I was. It's a pity as the similar sized P&H Sirius has a cockpit which is much more accommodating for people with thick thighs, as the grips are moulded further forward.
But I persisted and I am glad I did because this boat feels alive on the water. It responds to every nuance of edging and change of fore and aft trim and this makes it a wonderful manouver orientated boat, easily as manouverable as a day boat like the Rockpool Alaw/Bach and much more manouverable than other expedition orientated boats like the P&H Quest or NDK Explorer.
It's like riding a bicycle though, stability is great when you are paddling but soon disappears when you stop. There is not a great deal of primary stability (so I found it difficult to take photos from) but having a round bottom, it is less disconcerting than a V bottomed P&H Sirius which tends to flip from side to side. It responds superbly during edged turns but unladen there is not a great degree of 2y stability and in the wind I found myself using more bracing strokes than I am used to.
When rolling, I found the 2ndry stability just goes without any warning, unlike a Rockpool which tends to stiffen up and give a very stable lean.
This boat rolls really easily. I then loaded it with 40kg of gear. Even with my starting weight, of 85kg, this did make the limit of secondary stability much more predictable. This means that if you are light and value 2ndry stability, it might be best to view this as an expedition boat rather than as a day boat.
In winds up to F4 the boat is extremely balanced on all points without using the skeg. Above this it weathercocks but it responds superbly to small adjustments of the skeg and it allows effortless paddling on any course. RichardC has often decried the use of the skeg, saying good technique means you do not need it and he has praised the Rockpool boats for not having skegs. I have always disagreed with Richard about this, perhaps because I have used my Alaw on more open windy crossings than he has. (You will know from other posts that Richardhas a particular affinity for keeping very close to shore). However, even Richard who paddled side by side with a Rockpool Alaw Bach found that using the skeg in the Nordkapp LV made for a much more enjoyable paddle in strong wind. The surprising thing is that even with the skeg down you can still turn by edging, unlike in a Quest.
There were some small 18" swells and it caught and surfed these very easily and was manouverable when planing on the wave. I could not do meaninful speed testing because of the wind, but this is a very easily driven hull and it certainly felt fast on the day.
I have only paddled it for 5 hours so far but apart from the problem with my thighs, I did not partecularly find the small peg footrests comfortable. To use them, my size ten boots were restricted by the curvature of the hull and deck. It made me realize that the adjustable angled footplate that Rockpool use really is the current state of the art. If I was to buy a Nordkap LV (and I hope many of you will) I would either get a custom bulkhead or not bother with the footrests and pad it out with closed cell foam.
The seat was a moulded plastic job with padding but it sat low in the hull unlike some similar seats from other manufacturers. However, your bottom is still several cm above the hull and if I was to buy one of these, I would consider removing the seat and replacing it with some foam as this would give room for my thighs under the cockpit rim. The seat back was superb with 4 straps to hold its rear position and prevent it folding under your bum when doing wet reentries. The other fittings included the VCP heavy rubber hatches which are difficult to fit when your hands are cold but are really waterproof. The exposed part of the skeg contol wire (by the adjuster knob) is enclosed in a stainless steel sleeve to prevent kinking, a very nice touch that should be more widely adopted.
This is a superbly made expedition boat for smaller paddlers which is as manoeuverable as a day boat albeit at the cost of some 2ndry stability. It really achieves Valley's aim of extending the Norkapp expedition experience to lighter paddlers. It is a boat that the progressing paddler will delight in for it's responsiveness. Sadly, cockpit size limits its potential as a dayboat for some larger paddlers.
Overall verdict? Outstanding, beauty really isn't skin deep!
Douglas
PS This is a first impression! More testing and photos to come.
