P&H Scorpio MK2 MV with Skudder and P&H Code Zero sail, a long term test and review.

About the test: paddling conditions and paddlers.

This test is based on testing the P&H Scorpio MK2 MV  over 4 months in the summer and autumn of 2015. The test took place in open and sheltered waters on the west coast of Scotland: the west coast of Kintyre, Gigha and Cara, the Sound of Jura, the North Channel, the Firth of Clyde and the Solway Firth. It involved open crossings of up to 14km, waters with strong tides in the Solway, Kintyre and the Sound of Jura and major headlands and tide races such as at the Mull of Galloway and Crammag Head. It has been used extensively in wind against tide conditions during a very windy July and August on the Solway . The test involved 27 day trips and a further 8 day/night camping trips to islands in the Hebrides, Firth of Clyde and the Solway Firth. The main tester was 1.73m tall, weighed 85kg and paddled the Scorpio Mk2 MV for about 700km. It was paddled by seven other people who ranged in weight from 55 to 105kg and 164 to 184cm in height. Their experience ranged from beginner to 5* level. During the test period the kayak was a free loan from P&H but in case you think this might introduce a degree of bias, the main tester has also had free loans of kayaks from several other manufacturers whose kayaks are available in the UK. During the period of the test the Scorpio Mk2 MV was paddled back to back with a Scorpio 170 and three P&H Cetus MV kayaks.

Design.

Scorpio Mk2 MV with Cetus MV behind.

The Scorpio Mk2 MV  is a development of the successful Scorpio 170, which was itself modelled on the Cetus composite range. In size The Scorpio Mk2 MV is longer and wider than the old Scorpio 170 and shorter and wider than the Cetus MV. Its volume is midway between these other kayaks. However, on the beach it looks very similar to the Cetus MV. Its wide point is just behind the cockpit. It has moderate tail rocker and quite marked bow rocker. Under hull it has a shallow V from the keel line running into softly rounded chines. The Scorpio Mk2 MV is 525cm long and 58cm wide. It is 317l in volume. Apart from being longer and wider than the original Scorpio 170, the Scorpio Mk2 MV has a lowered rear deck and cockpit rim and the lips of the hatch rims have been modified to allow easier fitting of the covers. The foredeck has been modified with inserts for attaching a sailing rig mast foot and mouldings for split paddle handles lie on either side of the compass recess. These mouldings make the foredeck very stiff and unlike many PE kayaks it requires no further reinforcement for the fitting of a mast foot. The line of the deck from the side of the cockpit to the mast foot has been modified to allow the stowed sailing rig to lie neatly. Two of the deck lines' recessed deck fittings (RDFs) have been moved to allow fitting mast side stays at right angles to the mast. The skeg/skudder control has been moved from the side of the fore deck to the top.

Construction, finish, fittings and ergonomics.

Photo Ian Johnston

Unwrapping the Scorpio Mk2 MV was a treat. It is a beautifully proportioned sleek kayak despite its maximum breadth and the attention to detail is superb e.g. the embossed P&H logo on the alloy security bar. The boat is constructed from three layer CoreLite polyethylene. It is stiff for a PE boat and at 28.7 kg is remarkably only 0.5kg heavier than a diolen composite Cetus MV in expedition layup with a keel strip. New for 2016, the roto-molded Scorpio Mk2 will be available in CoreLite X which will be even lighter and stiffer. The bulkheads are of 7.5cm thick black foam. This has considerably reduced the volume of the rear day hatch which is 15cm shorter compared with that in the composite Cetus MV. The test boat was supplied in a stunning marbled "Ikea" blue (it matched my bags!) The moulding was particularly well finished with some matt and glossy areas. Large glossy P&H logos appear on the fore deck and the under hull. Rather disappointingly either side of the hull at the bow is finished in matt. This means that you cannot mount a suction cup for a remote camera on an extension rod. (if you don't have a sail then the flat mast base area would be a good alternative camera mounting point.) There is an alloy security bar behind the cockpit which I use for attaching a tow line using a water ski quick release shackle. 

On the foredeck there is a forward mini hatch. Its cover is very easy to remove and fit but like many other PE kayaks the mini hatch is not waterproof. The round fore hatch and oval rear hatch have rubber KayakSport covers and are indeed much easier to fit than on previous P&H PE kayaks like my Delphin. The rear day hatch is a lightweight model with a plastic centre and was very easy to open and close when on the water.  As mentioned above, the rear day hatch is considerably smaller than the equivalent hatch in the Cetus MV due to the  fact that the two foam bulkheads are a total of 15cm thick. If volume is important to you on expedition it might be worth considering the Scorpio Mk2 HV which will be released in mid 2016. The hatch recesses have moulded drainage channels. In normal use and during rolling sessions the three main hatches remained bone dry. The boat had the usual excellent P&H deck elastic and deck line arrangement. I particularly like the fact that the rear deck lines come right up to the rear of the cockpit. This allows the paddle to be secured during a paddle float re-entry. 

The Scorpio Mk2 MV comes either the MK2 P&H skeg or the Skudder. I have found the MK2 skeg to work faultlessly on other kayaks, as long sand is washed out of the skeg box and the tension in the downhaul elastic is regularly checked. 

The skeg (and skudder) adjustment slider has been moved from the left side of the onto the top of the deck to the left of the midline. This is a great move as it stops your paddle hand catching and releasing it (especially if you are wearing pogies). Even walking past a boat with the slider mechanism in the original position can brush against and release the skeg which is not good if you are about to push it back into the water. The new position is out of the way and easy to get to. I use a large deck bag for a DSLR camera. I needed to fit it slightly forward to clear the skeg adjuster but I could still reach it easily. The only disadvantage of the new position is that it is a sand trap if you are launching in dumping surf on a sand beach. So keep an eye on this and wash any sand out without delay. 

The cockpit is 80cm long which means I found it easy to get in and out, even with bad knees. The cockpit rim has been modified and I found a Reed spray dick fitted securely and had no tendency to come off in dumping surf. The deck round the cockpit is also very stiff and flexes very little when bracing your legs in the comfortable, adjustable thigh braces. Tools are required to adjust the thigh braces but it is a straightforward job. The seat is the P&H Connect seat with padded cover and adjustable backrest and hip pads. It is fitted nice and low in the cockpit. I found it easy to get a very comfortable fit in the Scorpio Mk2 MV as did most of the testers. The largest tester did find his feet (UK size 12, 89cm inside leg) cramped but I had no trouble with my size 10 Lomo boots with 74cm inside leg. The 55kg paddler enjoyed the Scorpio Mk2 MV but is considering buying the Scorpio Mk2 LV which is a more appropriate size.

The test boat was fitted with the optional Skudder, a combined rudder and skeg mounted in the usual skeg position. It has a decent sized blade to aid control. It is also considerably stiffer than the standard P&H skeg. 

All the control cables are contained within the boat and the rear control levers over the rudder are covered by a flush plastic cover on the rear deck. The rear hatch looses a little room compared with a simple skeg box but long thin items can still go up either side. The Skudder is incredibly well designed and engineered especially given the price of the boat it is fitted to. It is controlled by Smart Track foot pedals, which self adjust as the footrests are slid back and forwards.  It did not need any adjustment during the test. In use it acts as a skeg if you deploy it up to just over half way. If you put it fully down the pedals can now turn it and it acts like a rudder. It does not self centre as you put it away so you need to centre it with your feet first. Until you get used to this, do not leave it till the last minute before landing. 

The only downside is that the pivot pin for the Skudder is in an exposed position at the front of the skeg box. The hinge is unaffected by shingle, mud, or fine sand but some coarse shell sands (as found on the Outer Solway) can jam it and If the boat has been sitting on such sand you should make sure it is clear after launching but before getting into the boat. Some rental companies using Venture kayaks with the Skudder have experienced problems with the vertical rod which turns the rudder. At the end of the test I dismantled the Skudder but found no problems. Either the design/construction has changed or rental kayaks get much more wear than the 700km I covered and the 300km others covered in this Scorpio kayak.

The test kayak came with the P&H Code Zero sailing rig. The mast, stays and mast foot are supplied by Kari-Tek. The sail is made by Flat Earth in Australia and uses a very similar cut to their own Trade Wind sail. The P&H sail was tested in OP #46. Since then, P&H have changed to a four stay design from Kari-Tek's three stay system. Three mini karabiners are supplied for the side and back stays so that once you have their length adjusted, you can quickly remove and fit the sail without need for further adjustment. As mentioned above, two of the RDF's have been moved so that they are at right angles to the mast foot, which is the ideal position for attaching the two side stays. 

The two cleats for the uphaul/forestay and the sheet have fairleads. I prefer cleats without fairleads so that the lines can be released instantly (without fear of re-jamming) in the event of a sudden squall or capsize. The sail has a shorter luff than previous Flat Earth sails and on the standard mast you can see forward under it so no window is required in the sail.

Overall performance.

I felt comfortable in the Scorpio Mk2 MV straight away. I have been sea kayaking as often as I can for 13 years and when I first saw how beamy the Scorpio Mk2 MV was, I wondered whether I would find it boring to paddle. I also thought if it would feel more uncontrollable in really rough conditions than a boat like my Nordkapp LV, which is narrow with highly rocked, low volume ends. Surprisingly the Scorpio Mk2 MV is remarkably unflappable in the rough stuff. 

Photo from the Scorpio MK2 MV off Garroch Head.

I was taking photographs with my DSLR in F4/5 wind over a spring tide in the Garroch Head tide race in conditions I would not have dared to take the camera out in the Nordkapp LV.

The Scorpio Mk2 MV off Garroch Head Photo by Ian Johnston

I think that some advanced paddlers may be surprised by the Scorpio Mk2 MV's abilities. It would make a great, robust kayak for guiding or coaching. Not once during my time with the Scorpio Mk2 MV did I feel that I would rather be in one of my other kayaks. I now wonder whether a composite kayak with a similar maximum beam but the overall slim lines of the Scorpio Mk2 MV shape might be a success? Whatever, I think P&H have hit a sweet spot with this design.

Stability and rolling
The Scorpio Mk2 MV is remarkably stable for a touring sea kayak due both to its width and rear set wide point. It is an ideal platform for coaching, photography, bird watching or fishing. It is incredibly stable when on edge and is great fun when weaving through rock gardens. It rolls very smoothly but a little more slowly than the narrower Cetus MV. The lowered rear cockpit edge makes back deck rolling much more comfortable than the old Scorpio, without having to raise your backside off the seat.

Speed, manoeuvrability and tracking
The Scorpio Mk2 MV is easily able to maintain a normal all day touring pace of 6-7.5km/hour whether loaded or unloaded. Despite paddling regularly with three other paddlers in Cetus MVs at no time did I feel disadvantaged, even after a day where we covered 47km. The glide and tracking are both improved over the old Scorpio 170. Despite being more directional when paddling a course than its elder sibling it was noticeably faster to turn on edge. I found my maximum burst speed was about 10% down compared with the Cetus MV in the same conditions. When paddle sailing in waves in a good F4/5 day my top speed in the Scorpio Mk2 MV was 18km/hour on the best wave and 20.5km/hr in the Cetus MV on its best wave. A little skeg helps with tracking as the wind picks up but the adjustment range on the slider (when in skeg mode) is shorter than on a conventional skeg and so it is a bit more tricky to get just the right amount of skeg.

The Skudder

I was not expecting a great deal from the Skudder in rudder mode. I was wrong and as the months on test went by, I found I was using the rudder mode more and more, even without the sail! It is not a panacea for manoeuvring a kayak but unlike some systems I have tried, it does have a big enough blade to be effective, even when paddling at 45 degrees to the wind (when some rudder systems are better lifted as they cause lee cocking if you cannot paddle fast enough). The 5* paddler felt there was no need for the rudder as the Scorpio Mk2 MV was so manoeuvrable when edged. Initially I agreed but then I discovered that the Skudder works remarkably well for more advanced paddlers when used with edging and steering strokes. Then I noticed that two of the early intermediate paddlers had started to automatically edge the kayak when they were using the Skudder! The beginners loved it.

See here for a detailed review of the Skudder.

Behaviour in wind and waves 

Due to its sleek low profile and rocker line the Scorpio Mk2 MV is very well behaved in wind. It gently weathercocks but this is easily controlled by the Skudder in either skeg or rudder mode. The low profile means that in choppy conditions when paddling to windward the Scorpio Mk2 MV is quite a wet kayak. However, it is dry when paddling downwind and the tail rocker is very good at picking up following seas. Once on a wave the bow rocker keeps the bow clear of the water if you get the kayak planing. If you stuff it down into the trough then the bow rocker helps prevent purling (nose diving). Like other kayaks with a rear set wide point the Scorpio Mk2 MV is surprisingly manoeuvrable if you stay high on the wave. This can lead to a sudden broach but more advanced paddlers will be able to use this manoeuvrability to correct early and run straight.

Paddling when loaded

The Scorpio Mk2 MV is a bit more directional when loaded with camping gear and if anything the Skudder in rudder mode is even more useful on such a trip. Although the wide point of the kayak is aft of the cockpit, the rear deck is low so the rear hatches do not have so much volume as some kayaks of similar length and overall volume. As a result it is easy to put too much weight in the front. It is important to distribute the weight about 60% in the rear and 40% at the front otherwise the kayak will develop excessive weather cocking. If you get the balance right the loaded Scorpio Mk2 MV is delightfully neutral to paddle whatever the wind or wave conditions.

Paddle sailing.

The Scorpio Mk2 MV is a great boat for paddle sailing, especially if you are new to using a sail or don't like drilling holes in a new boat. (You still need to decide where to mount the two cleats but as they screw into the cockpit area you won't be worried about creating a leak.) Neither do you need to worry about where to mount the mast foot as P&H have already found the best position. Even beginners to kayaking were happy to deploy the sail in sheltered conditions. Newcomers to paddle sailing need to realise that you don't just sit there letting the sail do the work. You will soon get cold.

It is much more fun to paddle hard and use the sail for extra speed, especially downwind when you can catch faster waves than when using paddle power alone. More advanced paddle sailors will find the stability of the Scorpio Mk2 MV very reassuring as they push their paddle sailing into stronger wind and wave conditions. When travelling fast downwind, you need to be light footed with the Skudder. It is easy to steer too far one way then overcorrect the other. When paddle sailing downwind on an 11km crossing in F4 conditions with two paddle sailors in Cetus MVs, I found I was actually faster using the Skudder in skeg mode than rudder mode. In F4 winds the Skudder is big and effective enough to tack the Scorpio Mk2 MV through the wind. Most other over stern ruddered kayaks I have used for paddle sailing in such winds are easier to tack if you lift the rudder first.

Conclusions
As the sun went down on my last night camping from the Scorpio Mk2 MV I reflected on what a great kayak I had enjoyed.

The Scorpio Mk2 MV is such a versatile kayak that if it had been available when I started sea kayaking 13 years ago I would probably still have it. Over the 4 months of the test (during one of the windiest summer and autumns in 20 years) I really grew to appreciate its versatility and forgiving nature. The various features of the Scorpio Mk2 MV with Skudder and sail are so complimentary that the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Not only is this an ideal kayak for those starting off in sea kayaking but it will grow with them and support the development of advanced skills. It would also make a great kayak for coaching. Lastly, the Scorpio Mk2 MV with Skudder and sail must be the easiest way into paddle sailing. The only thing I can find wrong with it is that P&H wanted it back!

Disclaimer
Three years ago I spent an hour and a half drifting in my kayak on the Solway. I was on the phone to Graham Mackereth of P&H. We were discussing what sort of features would make a new, all round sea kayak suitable for all abilities and be ideal for those interested in paddle sailing. I am delighted to discover that many of those ideas have now made it into production. I am glad that a manufacturer was prepared to listen to customer feedback and act on it. This may have led to some bias in this review so I suggest anyone thinking of purchasing such a kayak goes and test paddles the Scorpio Mk2 MV and makes their own mind up.

Specifications of Scorpio Mk2 range

Scorpio MK2 LV
Length: 508cm
Width: 53cm
Volume: 271l
Weight: 27.5 kgs (CoreLite) 25kg (CoreLite X)
Paddler weight range: 50-110kg

Scorpio MK2 MV  (as tested)
Length: 525cm
Width: 58cm
Volume: 317l
Weight: 29.5kgs (CoreLite) 26.5kgs (CoreLite X)
Paddler weight range: : 65-125kg

Price:   with skeg RRP: CoreLite £1,299 CoreLite X £1484
            with Skudder RRP: CoreLite £1,399 CoreLiteX  £1584

Scorpio Mk2 HV will be available mid 2016.

Absent, gone, about to go, reprieved, arrived and Google Photos app is worse than a Google car crash.

Absence: Well it has been a little while since I posted on my blog  Seakayakphoto.com and I have been off the water for over four months. I have not been well for some time but am fortunately now recovering. I consider myself rather fortunate as many have health problems from which there is no recovery. I do have a backlog of things I have meant to post so will shortly start with those.

During my absence some things have gone and some have been reprieved or arrived.

Gone:  Mark Rainsley's renowned SouthwestSeakayaking blog has been retired though he is still very active on Facebook. Here is an archive link to his former blog. I am sorry to see it go because Facebook is not indexed and it is difficult to find older posts. Thanks for many informative and entertaining posts Mark.

Gone: Sadly Lulu, a member of the British Isles only resident orca pod, was washed up dead on a Tiree beach.  Her fluke had become entangled in fishing gear and she drowned. I have seen this pod twice, once to the north of the Cairns of coll and once off  Rubha an Dunain on Skye. They have not reproduced for many years and the loss of an adult female does not bode well for the pod's survival.

About to Go: Picasa Web Albums. This was the free photo hosting service by Google. This hosted photos in Blogger blogs like this one. If you uploaded photos directly from Blogger they would be posted in an album that would grow to 500 photos then a new album would start. You could also upload photos directly to Picasa Web Albums and create more meaningful albums of any size. Links from photos in these albums could be posted directly into a Blogger post as in the photos on this page. The demise of Picasa Web Albums has been predicted since the launch of Google + Photos some years ago. Google are so determined to get rid of Picasa Web Albums that they have excluded it from Google searches.

Gone: The Troon Larne high speed ferry which ran during the summer season has been axed. I have used this ferry in the days that it went into belfast rather than Larne so I will miss it.

The HSC Express has been sold to a Swedish company for operation between the island of Gotland and the Swedish mainland.

However, it will make the 22km crossing between Ailsa Craig and Arran somewhat less exciting as the ferry blasted across this route four times per day at 42 knots!

Reprieved: The Ardrossan Campbeltown ferry operated as a pilot summer service from 2013 to 2015 after which it was rumoured that it would be axed.

It was served by the MV Isle of Arran which will thankfully continue the Thursday to Sunday service. Even better news is that the service will now be permanent (as these things can be).

Arrived: Late in 2015 Google Photos replaced both Picasa Web Albums and Google + Photos. It would be marvellous if the third incarnation of a Google photo storage app was a progressive improvement but it is not. For any serious photographer it takes away any control of compression and it lacks all of the indexing and tagging that Picassa Web Albums allowed. It is also so slow that it is like using an old dial up modem .Google Photos is a truly horrid app, it is worse than a Google Car crash.

Plus: One good thing is that all your personally created albums in Picasa Web Albums have already been ported over to Google Photos.

Minus: The bad news is that they have been compressed on the way over. A typical photo in my blog like the one below is 1024x683 pixels.

This one (which is stored in Picasa Web Albums) was reduced in size and saved from the original camera RAW file in Lightroom as a jpg file with 70% compression. The compressed file was 207KB in size. By the time it was transferred to Google Photos it was further reduced to 90KB. That degree of reduction might be fine if you upload an uncompressed original but when a file is compressed twice the results are not good. I am not going to post the Google Photos version as I really do not like it and it spoils my memory of this beautiful sunset.

Minus: I suspect the photos have not only been compressed but have also been "improved" ("auto enhanced" in Google speak) by altering the exposure, contrast, saturation etc. Maybe I am fussy but the compressed, improved photos  have that garish "turn up the picture" look that someone who has just discovered the sliders in Photoshop might produce.

Minus: The Blogger photo albums of 500 photos which are stored in Picasa Web Albums have not been ported over to Google photos.

Minus: The coding is bloated. This is the link for a photo in Google Photos:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Y41QDpD6aZHubgWQGq8MXJz7qstXiUwFtkwb8eR4krXZhmmbqtfG5tP_YT8ZB8KgzIoDwAZbMRmwPJBburJGhQ3xKccb2e_vcMJO5oHOo_E2genKZIZOIpPky9mwBfEh87pgALdS5eeEayXHFmTX1zbLmEdl33BLmJTifCt3KTAAhvOX-BNkojfh2T85cTb3e1lFOgyl0ELYxRIHZqkB1nJiFdgXKOgOdcjmNU4oDJBSvxgS5OcwKTD6dnlWcA_dgxWj1M7eXwi4FxYJT2nXlmiAdgu1f61zU9z9yE400J4Yq37zSOyIKtBHNIqKC4rLAPIieXKS99Ad6fRNqCRlW6D68W95HQImC9TEa6ndLwU8EvlMOx-CJtRl2p6haGn4viL7uzRZyDcVGAdF30nsbu_glKzPrFqFLiCHX8sd84xG9c_kTx5tCn5eFMIB_sDU3jBGQQYTA5c_Efv4XPb4M0AaaXI8P_8Qtek39Tgx0Pq_5FdeSHAjqxV1V1kVwLcD5rYdL_7c8LnFb5rD1JVuXzlkBR4P7JmLVPo_BhrGpNtCTT3CJU6P3kWmbpwu7eFt=w1024-h683-no

No wonder Google Photos is so slow. In comparison this is a link for the same photo in Picasa Web Albums:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1XXVgV-XJEY/VtiItTRLxtI/AAAAAAAAw5k/RVhRUSIrsog/s1024-Ic42/20160228-IMG_0989DEW100.jpg

Not only is the "old and redundant" code more compact (!!!) it also contains the original filename and note the "s1024" which allows you to set the maximum size of the downloaded photo (in this case 1024 pixels) which is very useful if you want to paste a photo into a post in a forum that restricts the size of photos.

When Google programmers resort to bloatware like this it is little wonder the Google car crashed. Indeed if the roads were filled with Google cars there would almost certainly be the mother of all traffic jams! Having said that, if Google Cars are as fast as Google Photos then the collisions will not be so much a crash, they will be more like the kiss of a down feather landing gently on the floor.

Lastly if you think it is unfair to criticise a "free" app, it is of course not free at all. Google sifts through all your stuff and targets you with advertising which you pay for in the things you buy. Despite it being several years since my knee operations and my retirement my browsing experience is still filled with adverts for knee potions and retirement investments. Even worse the day after I emailed my mother's brother to say that she had not long to live, I was targeted with adverts for funeral plans and directors. Thank you Google. No doubt I will now be bombarded with adverts for pick me ups and health tonics.

Two fine tuning tips for the sailing rig on the P&H Scorpio mk2 sea kayak.

P&H Sea Kayaks should be lauded for being the first mainstream manufacturer to supply a sea kayak complete with sailing rig, all ready to go paddle sailing: the P&H Scorpio mk2. The sail is manufactured for P&H by Flat Earth Kayak Sails in Australia.

photo Ian Johnston

It comes complete with everything you need to go on a paddle sailing adventure on your first trip.

The Scorpio mk2 fore deck has been strengthened for a mast foot, a threaded insert for the mast foot screws has been moulded into the foredeck, two RDFs have been moved forward to be opposite the mast foot to give the side stays the best attachment position on the deck, the rig comes with a separate back stay and it even comes with stainless steel snap shackles for quick attachment and removal....all excellent stuff!

However, I do not like the way the side stays have been attached to the mast as the long fixed loop coming down from the stainless steel saddle on the front of the mast does not give the side stay best mechanical advantage.

Tip 1.
I cut the existing stays off and replace them with thinner 2mm dyneema line and...

...attach them through the saddle and round the mast using a simple sliding hitch knot like this...

...one, though I am not sure what it is called. 

Edit: Many thanks to Mike B for identifying it as a double overhand sliding loop. :o)

Tip 2

I also like to have the ability to adjust the length of the side stays quickly and easily without tying knots. If you are starting off paddle sailing, I recommend Clamcleat Mini Line-Loks CL266. These work well up to F3 winds but slip in F4. They will also slip if you are unlucky enough to capsize in the shore break with your sail up. Then the Line-Lok slipping can save your deck and your mast!  

Once you are ready to paddle sail in stronger winds, an alternative is to learn how to tie the adjustable grip hitch. This will not slip under load yet is very easy to adjust when not loaded. You want to have your side stays "twang tight" when the mast is vertical and being able to tweak the tension in the stays bit by bit make setting up much easier than tying knots by trial and error.

Adjustable grip hitch 1

Adjustable grip hitch 2

Adjustable grip hitch 3, pull tight to complete.

I hope you have as much fun hoisting your P&H/Flat Earth kayak sail as I have had with mine.

I will post a full review of the P&H Scorpio MV mk2 with skudder and sail before the New Year.

PS I have just heard that P&H branded Flat earth sails will soon be made using the same Grand Prix tri-laminate material which I liked so much in the new Flat Earth Trade Wind 80 sail.

Flat Earth Kayak Sails Trade Wind 80, long term test and review.

The number of sea kayakers paddle sailing in British waters, particularly with Flat Earth Kayak Sails, has increased to the extent that designer Mick MacRobb chose Scotland for the World launch of his latest design! It is called the Trade Wind 80 sail and has a new cut and a new trilaminate Grand Prix cloth.

Design and construction 

The Trade Wind is available in 100, 80 and 70 sizes corresponding to 1.0, 0.8 and 0.7 sqm. the sails tested were 0.8sqm in area. This is the most popular size as it has the widest wind range.

The new Trade Wind 80 (red) overlying the previous Code Zero 0.8 (blue), mast tip to mast tip. Note the shorter luff of the Trade Wind 80.

The previous Code Zero 0.8 overlying the new Trade Wind 80. Note the greater roach of the Trade Wind 80.

Trade Wind 80 on the left, Code Zero 0.8 on the right.

Compared with the previous Code Zero sail, the Trade Wind 80 has a slightly shorter luff and has more sail area in the head and roach (upper rear). The outline is similar to the current P&H version of the Code Zero but the material is different.

The new Grand Prix sail cloth is a mylar/scrim/mylar trilaminate. The scrim is made up of carbon and kevlar yarns so it is very resistant to stretching or tearing. This type of trilaminate material is very tough and resistant to UV and has been long used on windsurfer wave sails and they take a real thrashing. The previous Code Zero cloth is great when new. It is a thinner, lighter mylar/dacron bilaminate but it tends to soften with repeat folding and this may be why the leaches of some older Code Zero sails "motor" or flutter in stronger winds. I suspect this will not be an issue with the Grand Prix cloth. It is partially see through.

There is no window option on the Trade Wind 80 sail but the shorter luff on the standard mast means you get a reasonable view to the horizon. The boom of the new sail sits higher on the standard mast than previous sails. This gives all round vision under the sail. You could cut the mast top down and lower the sail but I am not going to do that. I like the sail up higher as the wind gets slower and more turbulent the closer down it is to the surface of the sea.

Trade Wind 80 on the left P&H branded Code Zero 80 on the right.

Recent Code Zero 0.8 and all P&H branded Code Zero sails have no windows. The window only gives a view of the sky anyway.

1st generation Flat Earth sail in the foreground showing a large degree of twist. (2nd generation FEKS in the background.)

The Trade Wind 80 is the fourth generation of the Flat Earth sails that has been available in Europe. It has less twist than previous generations of Flat Earth sails, particularly the first and second generation dacron sails. The twist made the early sails forgiving in gusts but due to the head twisting off , the boom needed to be kept sheeted in a bit when sailing downwind to prevent the roach of the sail moving forward of the mast and spilling wind. The new sail can be sheeted out more on the run making it more efficient.

With less twist, the new sail is indeed a bit more unforgiving and as Mick MacRobb says "aggressive" than the original sails but will retain more power before auto spilling the wind. When the Trade Wind 80 is sheeted in a little further in a reach position I think the fullness low down looks a little further back than in the previous Code Zero which will make it a little more powerful for its size especially on a broad reach. When sheeted right in on a beat the head of the sail is flatter than previous versions but there is still plenty fullness low down. As a windsurfer, I have always liked using sails with a deep belly, a flat head and a roach with controlled twist for their wide wind range. As a sea kayaker, I like this style even more. I think Mick has really nailed it with this particular cut!

The batten, boom and gooseneck fitting are unchanged from previous generations of the sail. Also unchanged is the neat and expert way the sail has been cut, assembled and sewn.

On the water

Phil Toman and I received preview Trade Wind 80 sails in April 2015. Ian Johnstone then bought one of the first production sails and from then until November 2015 we have covered over 900km between us using the Tradewind 80 sail. We have used them extensively with unloaded P&H Quest, Delpin, Aries (with forward fin) Cetus MV and Valley Nordkapp LV kayaks. The Quest and Cetus MVs have also been tested with the sail when fully loaded on camping trips. We were able to test the sails side by side with all three previous generations of FEKS on identical P&H Aries and Cetus MV kayaks. Test conditions varied from force 2 to force 4 on exposed (quite rough) water and force 5-6 on sheltered (pretty flat) water with a fetch of 15km. The sails have been tested in the tidal waters of the Sound of Jura and the Solway Firth, in exposed waters at the mouth of the Firth of Clyde, in more sheltered water among the islands of the Firth of Clyde and...

...along the exposed North Sea coast between Lunan Bay and Arbroath.

Hopefully these GPs tracks  will give some idea of the thoroughness of testing. Each of these loops from summer 2015 is from an 11km circuit of the Isles of Fleet.

After the sail arrived I wasted no time in getting it out onto the water on my P&H Delphin. The wind was very gusty offshore in a sheltered bay from F2 to the bottom of F5. The sea was flat. On all points of sail the sail set with a noticeable lack of wrinkles. When launching the sail, it goes up with a satisfying wumph! One thing to note is that the top batten is now longer than the mast. When launching in stronger winds I like to hold the sail by the tip of the mast for a few seconds and allow the sail to blow free before pulling the uphaul to fully hoist the sail. This checks that I have not folded the sheet right round the sail when I previously furled it. Initially I found myself holding the top batten rather than the mast but I have since learned to go for the shorter mast. The sail has less twist and so is indeed a little less forgiving when you launch it on a broad reach than the original all dacron version. Code Zero FEKS sail users will probably not notice much difference though. The very gusty winds were a good test for me (a relatively experienced paddle sailor) to see how a newcomer might find the sail in steadier, lighter conditions. Well it was no trouble at all. I liked everything about it, launching, tacking upwind, on a reach, running, gybing and furling. There were no scary moments even in the most sudden gusts. In the strongest winds there was not a hint of the leech "motoring".

Downwind

This sail proved very controllable and powerful downwind in stronger winds. In winds at the top of F4 it gives the extra power to your paddling to overtake the wave in front then climb over it and chase the next wave.

The GPS showed my maximum speed hit 22.9km/hr when paddle sailing the Aries hard in a F4 with following sea and I was frequently hitting over 20km/hr when planing on a wave. The cut and heavier cloth give the Trade Wind 80 sail a very stable feel downwind. When you drop off the plane you slow down and the apparent wind increases (you should paddle hard at this point to maintain speed and reduce the load on the rig). In the older dacron sails if you suddenly slowed, the leech would suddenly twist off spilling wind but this moved the centre of effort and made the sail feel a little unstable. This sail continues to pull hard when you decelerate but in no way does it feel unstable. My one reservation for someone upgrading from a dacron sail is that undoubtedly the stays will be transmitting more force to the hull, especially if you are loaded with expedition gear.

You may wish to reconsider your existing stay anchors. I now use two side stays and two back stays, all anchors are bolted through the kayak seam.

Upwind.

Many kayakers will not bother to use their sails upwind but it is worth the effort learning how to do so. The Grand Prix sail material is stiffer than the original dacron material and it is a little more difficult to judge how high to the wind you can paddle sail without luffing (back winding) the sail. The softer dacron sails definitely showed the when the leading edge back winded at an earlier stage. I was not bothered by this but if beginners are particularly concerned about beating performance (rather than just blasting downwind having fun) they could thread a wool tell tale through the luff of the sail about half way up and in front of the batten. The tell tale should blow horizontal sailing close as possible to the wind but if you point too high into the wind it will start to move vertically. Swapping between two Aries kayaks, one with the Code Zero and one with the Trade Wind 80, the experienced paddler found it easier to out point the other paddler when using the Trade Wind 80 upwind in a F3-F4. However, down wind there was little difference in speed between the two sails. Interestingly the flat area behind and above the batten often appeared to be back winding when close hauled but the full part of the sail below the batten continued to pull strongly.

Close reaching round a headland  in a F4 wind.

One thing I did notice about the new sail is I find it easier to control upwind in stronger winds. It feels much more stable than the previous dacron versions of the sail. Although they may be softer and more forgiving, they lack the feeling of stability and power of this new sail. I think the Trade Wind 80 sail's very solid feel is due to its centre of effort being much more static. Basically I like the feel of Trade Wind 80 a very great deal when going upwind. It also proved particularly effective upwind in combination with the Aries using a forward fin.

Use when fully loaded on expedition

Paddling sailing fully loaded on expedition is very rewarding especially with a favourable wind at the end of the day. However, the kayak will not accelerate so quickly in the gusts and unless you are lucky with the waves it will be more difficult to get it planing. This means you will be travelling slower and when you are paddling downwind the apparent wind will be greater with greater forces acting on the rig. This is another situation where it is important to continue to paddle hard to reduce the pressure on the rig. This is also why I think the 0.8 sqm sail is more suitable for all-round paddle sailing including expedition use than the 1.0sqm sail.

We were recently paddling south down the West Kyle of Bute when a "securite" strong north wind warning was broadcast on the VHF. In the relative shelter, the water was flat but the squalls were coming through the mountains at F5-F6 from various angles. All the yachts dropped their sails and motored home under bare poles. We carried on paddle sailing on a very broad reach. We were in identical Cetus MVs loaded with supplies for 5 nights camping. I had a Trade Wind 80 and Mike had a Code Zero 0.8. In these extreme conditions there was a lot of load on the rigs and I think I had an easier time controlling the Trade Wind 80 than Mike did with the Code Zero.

Two days later we enjoyed a more moderate F3 to F4 downwind blast of 30km across open waters of the Sound of Bute and it was more difficult to differentiate between the two sails' performance and handling.

FEKS 0.8 gen 2, Code Zero 0.8 gen 3 and Trade Wind 80 gen 4.

Wear and tear
At the end of this test there was no sign of wear, cracking or delamination in the three sails on test.

Conclusions

I like what Mick MacRobb has called the "slightly more aggressive" nature of the Trade Wind 80 sail. I felt more of the gust was being transformed into forward drive rather than spilling out off the roach as the sail twisted. The defining characteristic of the Trade Wind 80 is a very stable centre of effort. This makes paddle sailing at the top of your ability and conditions range a joy! This is steady evolution, it certainly won't make your Code Zero or P&H FEKS sail redundant. However, if you have one of the original all dacron (or dacron with mylar reinforcement on the leech) Flat Earth sails, then changing to the Trade Wind 80 would make a significant and noticeable upgrade. You could always sell your old dacron sail to a newcomer to paddle sailing, who might not yet be ready to invest in a new sail and who would appreciate the older sail's softer feel in lighter winds. If you are new to paddle sailing do not be put off by the high tech appearance of the Trade Wind 80, it is actually very easy to handle, especially in the lighter winds you should get to know it in. If you already have a Code Zero or P&H FEKS, the incremental improvement is probably not worth an upgrade at this time, unless you just MUST have all the latest kit! The biggest difference in performance is in winds that will probably be at the top of most people's comfort zones anyway but it also excels if you like going upwind in F4 winds. I cannot think of a better day or expedition sail for paddle sailing in all weathers, summer and winter.

In Europe, the FEKS Trade Wind 80 is available from Kari-Tek. Price in the first batch is the same as the outgoing Code Zero i.e. £198 (exc. mast and fittings) then subsequent deliveries will be £218. If you are in the Southern Hemisphere keep an eye on the Expedition Kayaks web site as they are main distributor in the FEKS's native Australia.

Conflict of interest
Phil and I have been using free loan sails that remain the property of Flat Earth Kayak Sails, the only cost to us was the postage from Australia. I have however, bought three other FEKS sails at full price. Neither Phil nor I have any financial interest in FEKS. Ian bought his sail for full price.