Question about a Ultimate 12

[john from md]

Folks,

I've tried searching but the search engine brings too many non related hits.

I am considering getting a Kayak for fishing in the Severn River when I don't want to go out in my power boat. I have paddled SINK kayaks before but never fished from one. I am sixty plus with disk issues and arthritis but I manage with exercise and ibuprofen.

I have been looking at various SOT and SINK types but seem drawn to the Native Watercraft Ultimate 12. I would be launching from Green park across from the academy and fishing for Perch mostly. I may run up to Tolly Point on occasion but that would probably be my limit.

I have seen quite a few SOT fishing kayaks in the Bay and have asked my share of questions. I haven't seen a NW Ultimate and would appreciate some input if there is someone using any in the bay or rivers.

Thanks,

John

[J.A. Veil]

John -

I fish several days a week in the Severn from my Native Manta Ray 14 (sit on top style). I am a similar age to you and have similar stiff and sore body issues too. Ibuprofen keeps me going on the water. The Native Ultimate is also a nice kayak, but is laid out part like a canoe and part like a kayak. It has a very comfortable seat according to most people (however, I paddled one for a day trip with a kayak fishing guide and did not like the way the seat bars poked into my back). The seat on my Manta Ray is extremely comfortable for me and feels different from the Ultimate seat.

One advantage of a sit on top kayak is that they have scupper holes in the floor. If you take a wave over the hull into the cockpit it will drain out the scuppers. Also, it is not uncommon to get a small amount of drippage on each paddle stroke. If you do not have any means for that water to escape, it does accumulate after a while. The Ultimate does not have any scupper holes, so you would need to carry a sponge or a pump to get water out.

If you want to see the Ultimate, there are two Native dealers in the greater Annapolis area: Annapolis Canoe and Kayak in Eastport and Kent Island Kayaks near Kent Narrows.

You are welcome to look at and sit in my two sit on top kayaks to get a sense of how they feel. But there is no substitute for trying out a kayak for an hour or so to see how it performs under real on-water conditions. If you buy a kayak and it is not comfortable, you will end up not using it much.

Although I personally am a fan of paddle style kayaks, many kayak anglers prefer the Hobie kayaks that use a foot pedal propulsion system. If you have serious back issues that might limit your paddling ability, consider a Hobie model. There are some models of the Ultimate that can be fitted with a Native foot pedal system too.

[john from md]

Thanks for your reply John. When the weather warms up, I may take you up on sitting in your SOT types. As for the propulsion, I have seen the pedal types but have no problem paddling for the small area that I would be fishing with the yak. I don't plan on cruising the bay the way that you guys do, at least not in the yak.


John

[archeryrob]

The seat in the Ultimate will be good on your back. SOT's have your legs straight and that can be tough on a bad back. But the Ultimate is not the best boat in wave chop and big boat wakes as it can fill up. I have the Commander 120 and love it, but it's no rough water boat!

[john from md]

"wave chop and big boat wakes as it can fill up"

Is that why they sell the optional skirts for the Ultimate? Fishing in the Severn, on a weekday, I would not worry about wake chop. Weekends, however are a different Ballgame.

I will admit, one of the reasons for looking at the Ultimate was its lighter weight than some of the other yaks. I am not sure I would be able to get a 75 pound yak on my Camry roof.

Regards,

John

[SteveL]

"wave chop and big boat wakes as it can fill up"

Is that why they sell the optional skirts for the Ultimate? Fishing in the Severn, on a weekday, I would not worry about wake chop. Weekends, however are a different Ballgame.

I will admit, one of the reasons for looking at the Ultimate was its lighter weight than some of the other yaks. I am not sure I would be able to get a 75 pound yak on my Camry roof.

Regards,

John

Weight is an important consideration! Although longer is faster, longer is heavier. I really like self-bailing sit on top kayaks in the 12 ft range as a good compromise for length and weight.

Putting a skirt on a boat is a whole lot of hassle compared to the simplicity of a SOT self bailing design. In general the only time I would put a skirt on a paddle craft is to keep it dry in big waves and to be able to Eskimo roll after a flip--which is standard for whitewater boats and some hard core sea kayaks...

[john from md]

Well I'm sure as hell not going to do an Eskimo roll!!!

Can you describe the process of getting a kayak onto a car top? Do you lean it against the car and then slide it up?

Many years ago when I was fit and trim, I used to be able to put a fiberglass sunfish on my Chevy Monte Carlo's roof rack by myself. I suppose that's one of the many reasons my back is bad today.

Anyway, how do you get a 75 pound yak on a car roof by yourself?

Thanks for the help,

John

[J.A. Veil]

Well I'm sure as hell not going to do an Eskimo roll!!!

Can you describe the process of getting a kayak onto a car top? Do you lean it against the car and then slide it up?

Many years ago when I was fit and trim, I used to be able to put a fiberglass sunfish on my Chevy Monte Carlo's roof rack by myself. I suppose that's one of the many reasons my back is bad today.

Anyway, how do you get a 75 pound yak on a car roof by yourself?

Thanks for the help,

John

I drive a Honda Odyssey minivan. For all my local kayaking, I fold down the second and third row seats and shove the kayak into the back. I get most of it inside, but need to leave the tailgate open (that means leaving the front windows open to counteract sucking exhaust into the van). For longer trips (like my run to Perryville yesterday), I use Thule mounts that attach to the cross bars of my roof racks. I move the kayak to the rear of the van. Lift up one end so that it touches the rear brackets, then slide it into place. Some of the younger guys I have seen will actually hoist their kayaks up onto the roof directly.

If you plan on transporting a kayak on the roof of a Camry, you will need some type of support. The lowest cost option is foam blocks. I bought a set when my vehicle was a '94 Camry. They do work, and they are not expensive. I have a set of foam kayak blocks that I have tried to sell at flea markets and even here on Tidalfish.
http://www.tidalfish.com/forums/show...highlight=foam

You are welcome to take a look at them to see if this meets your needs. You could also invest more money to get a set of Thule or Yakima racks and brackets. Some of these have a feature that allows you to lift the kayak to waist or chest height, lay it into the cradle. Then by pulling a lever, the entire cradle raises up to the roof and locks into place. That sounds nice, but is pricey.

I live in Annapolis. You can come by my house some time and look at my two sit-on-top boats, see the foam blocks, and the roof rack setup I use now. If interested, send me a bmail.

[noodlerod]

Anyway, how do you get a 75 pound yak on a car roof by yourself?

Haven't tried this myself, but it looks simple enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wnzk1VOJa0

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SN55Jfu94c

[john from md]

Noodlerod,

Thanks a bunch!

I can definitely do either one but, since I don't have a rack, the first one will work for me. Having cartop'd sunfish and laser's in the past, I know that having fore and aft tydowns is much more stable than just the side straps.

This broadens my selection, as well as gives me a wider price range, for the yaks that I can look at.

Regards,

John