journal k ayaker’s
Vital 166 M
The INSIDE OUT BY ALEX MATTHEWS
BY MAELSTRÖM
aelström is the brainchild of kayak in- structor Charles-Alexandre DesJardins.
Instead of setting up his own shop, Desjardins forged an agreement with well-established Quebec-based kayak manufacturer Boreal De- signs to build Maelström kayaks. Te partner- ship with an established builder ensures qual- ity manufacturing and better distribution for both of the Maelström models: the Vitäl 166 and its big sister, the Vaåg 174. My first impression of the Vitäl is that it’s
small. It’s not particularly short at 16-feet, six- inches but the extremely low decks mean that it’s certainly a low-volume design. Te look is British with an upswept bow and stern, a drop skeg and capped with rubber Kajak Sport hatches. Tese include a four-inch hatch on the foredeck, a 9.5-inch round bow hatch, 17x10- inch oval stern hatch, and finally an eight-inch round day hatch that is centered behind the paddler. Te Vitäl is obviously not an expedi- tion-oriented design but a play boat with trip- ping potential for the careful packer. Te Vitäl is a snug fit due to its low deck,
producing good thigh contact for a secure fit. Mid-sized and larger paddlers will find them- selves in a straight-legged position. If you come to the Vitäl from a Greenland background, you’ll love it. If however you are more ac- customed to paddling with your legs slightly flexed, then you’ll be longing for a little more deck height.
28 ADVENTURE KAYAK | SUMMER/FALL 2010 Despite its narrow 21-inch beam, the Vitäl
is very stable on an even keel. Edging is confi- dence inspiring but there certainly is a hinge point beyond which good bracing is required. Te rocker profile is quite conservative, so the boat tracks well and needs to be edged aggres- sively for tight turns. As an all-out playboat, I personally would have enjoyed more rocker, giving up some of its tracking for increased turning ability. Surfing was fun in the Vital and the boxy cross-section and hard chines worked well for subtle edge control and carving. When we were out in conditions reported
as 30 knots gusting to 42, we found the Vitäl to be a wet ride, and it had a tendency to throw its bow high when riding over waves. Tis re- sults in the bow deflecting and being blown off course. Speed seems average for a sea kayak of this length and design—a good compromise between speed demon and not damnably slow. Te low stern deck makes rolling the Vitäl very easy—it’s great for lay-backs. With Boreal building the Maelström boats
the quality is good with no rough edges or messy caulking, and the distinctive sexy black deck and black hull sections drew many fa- vourable comments from other paddlers. As a sporty all-round day-paddler the Vitäl fits the bill, particularly for diminutive folks who feel swamped by larger kayaks, or for paddlers who love a low deck, straight leg configuration. Larger paddlers should try the Vaag 174.
AN ORDER OF SKEG ON THE SIDE The skeg slider is neatly mounted right on the seam joining the hull to the deck. The placement keeps the slider within easy reach, and out of the way of the paddler’s knee inside the cockpit. Clever.
SOMETIMES, LESS IS MORE The Vital sidesteps the potential danger of finger entanglement by having its handles tethered with a single length of cord, rather than a loop.
CAN YOU SAY “HARD CHINE”? The very boxy cross-sectional shape of the Vital provides great initial stabil- ity for a boat only 21-inches wide. Any more angle to the sidewalls and the Vital wouldn’t release from the mould.
length ............................ 16.5 ft (5.03 m) width ...............................21 in (53.3 cm) volume (storage) ...........48.6 gal (184 l) bow hatch .......................23.8 gal (90 l) stern hatch .......................14.5 gal (55 l) weight ............................... 53 lbs (24 kg) fibreglass ............................. $3,599 Cdn Kevlar ................................... $4,199 Cdn carbon ................................. $4,699 Cdn
www.maelstromkayak.com
PHOTOS: ALEX MATTHEWS
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