Gear Locker:Necky Chatham 16 and Holey Soles

Necky Chatham 16 

The Chatham 16 is a relatively low volume sea kayak very much in the British style. Eschewing a rudder in favor of a drop skeg and employing 3 rubber hatches and 3 bulkheads, its sleek lines reflect classic Greenland designs with an upswept bow and stern.

The 16 is available in three materials: polyethylene, fiberglass or carbon. Necky has overhauled their composite fabrication methods and a sophisticated infusion process is now used instead of their long-standing open layup. The result is a more optimal cloth-to-resin ratio, meaning lighter, stronger parts without the brittleness associated with excess resin.

Our test kayak was fiberglass. The quality of the layup was excellent and the seams extremely neat. This is an impressively stiff boat. There is very little flex anywhere and the boat feels solidly built, weighting in at about fifty pounds.

The kayak is 16’5” long. The beam is 22”. The cross-sectional shape midship is rectangular, displaying a distinct hard chine and a full, vertical side-wall. The rocker is also quite pronounced.

Afloat, the boat feels very stable for its width. It is highly maneuverable, responding nicely to edging and lean turns, virtually spinning on an extreme lean. It’s at home in wind and waves, as well as tight places like rocky micro-bays or sea caves. It’s great for rock gardens or tidal rips, excelling in agility and quick response.

Volume has been carried quite far out to the bow and stern. This buoyancy doesn’t create the finest entry. In fact, it reduces glide when driving the boat forward. But it does provide lots of reserve buoyancy, keeping the bow on the surface and making the Chatham very capable in rough water and surf. This really is an easy boat to paddle in challenging situations, instilling confidence with handling that was reassuring in all conditions encountered.

The Chatham deals with wind well. Decks are low, reducing windage and making layback rolls comfortable. Deck layout is simple and effective, with wellplaced bungies, recessed deck fittings and perimeter lines.

The drop skeg did its job, but it’s a little floppy when deployed, and the union where the skeg cable entered the skeg box, in the stern hatch, leaked after 3 weeks of heavy use.

Three neatly installed bulkheads divide the cargo compartments. Hatches are the Valley Canoe Product (VCP) rubber type, and all are tethered against accidental loss. Ovals are used at the bow and stern, providing good access to the limited space inside. A smaller 7.5” round unit is used for the day hatch.

The main factor relative to fit is the width of the cockpit and seat. Some 200 pound paddlers were definitely not happy, while others liked the snug fit. At 150 pounds, I liked it a lot. The foam seat pan is not the most comfortable I’ve encountered, but the underside of the deck and the excellent thigh hooks allowed me to dial in a great interface with the boat. The unique alloy thigh hooks adjust back and forth as well as up and down for a snug, custom fit. A backband does a good job of supplying back support and is easily adjusted via snowboard style ratchets located on the inside of the cockpit coaming. These units started to show minor signs of rust, but worked well throughout testing. Foot pedals are rock solid.

Once adjusted, this kayak feels like an extension of your body—a boat that you wear, not one that you simply sit in. Rolling, edging and all other maneuvers depending on good fit, were easy.

I really enjoyed this kayak. It’s a forgiving package that rewards good paddling skills with zippy maneuverability and great rough water performance. The 16 is clearly more playboat than flat-water cruiser. It‘s not a speed machine, but does hold a comfortable touring pace reasonably well. Cargo space is limited so paddlers will have to pack carefully for multi-day trips. The Chatham 16 is all about poise in rough conditions. And when it comes to playing in rapids, surfing waves or paddling in really gnarly, challenging waters, this kayak would definitely be one of my first choices.

• Length: 16’ 5”

• Width: 22”

• Weight: 49 lbs Fiberglass, 45 lbs Carbon,

• 58 lbs Polyethylene

• Fiberglass—$3,399 Cdn / $2,699 US

• Carbon—$3,999 Cdn / $3,199 US

• Polyethylene—$1,999 Cdn / $1,449 US

Necky Kayaks

2460 Salashan Loop

Ferndale, WA, 98248

866-NECKY-87

www.necky.com

Holey Soles

Sometimes it seems as if gear reviews invariably focus on the latest, greatest, and most expensive products available. Enter Holey Soles. These slightly goofy looking slip-on shoes have quickly become my first choice in footwear for just about everything. And at $23 Canadian, it’s awfully hard to resist trying a pair!

The shoe itself is a classic clog shape, with a roomy toe box and a textured foot-bed. A low back makes slipping them on and off really easy. The outer sole has decent tread and provides surprisingly good grip. Large holes in the toe box area provide venting, shed water and allow sand and other debris to flush out of the shoe. But it’s Holey Soles’ clever injected molded foam construction that makes these deceptively simple clogs so great. They are amazingly light, and because each shoe is simply one solid piece of foam, there are no seams to fail, no glued pieces to delaminate, or buckles to break. They are beautifully simple and surprisingly durable. And yes, they float too! And now they are also available in a version with a back strap which can be flipped up across the instep for true slip-on function, or worn across the back of the foot to keep the shoe on in more dynamic situations.

Holey Soles rule at the beach or in a boat. They rinse clean of sand better than any sport sandal I’ve ever tried and provide far more sun protection. They dry really fast, unlike the straps on sport sandals that seem to stay wet forever.

I’ve even completed a 2-hour hike in mine. Holey Soles are perfect for standing long days on hard surfaces, while still being easy to flip on and off for impromptu foot stretches. There isn’t much that I haven’t done with these cushy foam clogs. They were pretty much the only shoes that I wore on a 3-week kayak trip last month. I wear them paddling, I wear them to work, I wear them travelling (great for flights, especially when security want your shoes off!), I’ve even worn them to fine restaurants…Hmm, I wonder when the opera is in town?

Black, Navy Blue, Pacific Blue, Purple, Pink, Red, Orange, Lime, Tan. Sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL

Price: $23 Cdn

Holey Soles Holdings Ltd.

Vancouver, BC

604-263-5527

www.holeysoles.com