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Stellar Owner Dave Thomas and Newbury KC's Keith Attenborough were on hand to help find that happy medium. NKC owner Mike Duffield manned the shop.
Down on shore, none of us wore masks, while we did in the shop, even though that mandate has now been lifted in the state if you are fully vaccinated. The shop is located right on the Parker River, for easy on-water testing in all tides.
Best known for its high-performance racing kayaks and surf skis, Stellar also provides well-made touring kayaks.
Here are some of the models kayakers were looking at.
The S 18 Low Volume Advantage, 17'11" length and 21.3" beam, is a traditional boat with hard chines, shallow V-hull, medium rocker, and a skeg. Low-drag design makes for fast paddling. It has a high-volume deck for larger paddlers, which may not be ideal for smaller paddlers.
The S 18 Low Volume Advantage.
One paddler was trying the Advantage, to upgrade from her shorter kayak. She had done a lot of research and even brought her measuring tape to compare cockpit sizes and beam with her current boat. Her goal? To keep up with her son as support person during his marathon swims. Right now, he was passing her. She spent a lot of time talking to Thomas and Attenborough and finally… the water test. Off she went; the boat was longer than she had planned and she was still working out whether the position of the thigh braces worked for her when I left, before she made her final purchase decision
Inspired, I also tried this boat, and the minute I took off felt a) I was on a Kentucky Derby winner and 2) kept discovering new things about where it liked to go. It felt like the entire hull was actively engaged in the water's surface, in a good way. Felt it was sitting on top of the water and glued to it but not plowing through it, if that makes any sense.
When it comes to speed, Stellar tries to get as close to a cylindrical hull cross-section as it can while being able to keep the boat upright. In the end, the kayaks have a very low wetted surface area below the water line yet good secondary stability from the increased volume above the water line.
The popular S 16 Advantage, 16'3" long, 22.1" beam, is an updated model, with increased waterline beam for additional stability and a taller deck for more toe-room, with a rudder.
The S 14 is similar but shorter with 14'4" length, 24.5" beam and comes with a skeg. One paddler had already bought the boat but was testing others just to make sure he had made the right choice. He had, he decided. Another paddler was deciding between the S16 and S14 and also went with the S14 model. The placement of the seat and backband worked for his back issues. He also liked its speed and weight, compared to the kayak he now owns. Score.
Testing the S14 and the S16 out on the Parker River.
S14 or S16 - an exhausting quandary.
An expert on fiberglass manufacture, Stellar offers models in several lay-ups.
The S 15 Low Volume Multisport was another popular model to try with a length of 15'1" and 21.6" beam with a long waterline, soft chine, and drop-down rudder to help stay on course. It has a low volume deck for small-sized paddlers. The multi-sport layup is Stellar's newest lay-up, made of carbon and Kevlar fabric that can take abuse on shallow, rocky bottoms, resulting in a 36.4 pound boat.
A couple took out the Stellar Tandem 21' Touring Kayak for a spin, length 21'4", beam 22.4, a fast-moving sleek design.
Stellar Tandem 21' Touring Kayak.
Some of Stellar's neat features include a deck pod on the fore deck to store keys and phone, side cutaways to allow a tighter stroke, lower cockpit rims and seat positions for easier back-deck rolling, footbraces easy to adjust in the boat, a combo of regular lines along the perimeter and bungee cross lines for deck rigging.
Side cutaways allow for a tighter stroke.
That's the good news. The bad news is the person who bought the S-14 will not take possession of his new beauty until the end of September. He and his wife will paddle around the waters of Wareham, Mass., and other places on the Cape in his current kayak.
NKC owner Duffield pointed to his empty racks and noted he is completely sold out of recreational kayaks. As far as Stellar goes, Thomas said the hold-up is not with manufacturing and parts, but rather with freight transportation. The boats are made in China.
This is not unique, as many of us took to the water as an excellent way to social distance safely during the pandemic, kayaks flew off the racks in shops across the country and have yet to be restocked, much like we saw in the bicycle and XC fields.
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