kayaker’s
journal
1]
2]
3] INSIDE OUT BY ALEX MATTHEWS Cetus
P&H’s newest boat is a good blend of sleek Brit sea kayak and serious load-carrying expe- dition workhorse. Te Cetus is a very attractive kayak with an
upswept bow and stern, full perimeter lines, three bulkheads, a drop skeg, and four rubber Kajak-Sport hatches. Tat’s right: four hatch- es! In addition to the usual oval stern hatch and round day and front hatches, there’s an ex- tra day hatch in front of the cockpit. Tis is a great feature that we’ll likely see more of. Build quality looks good and fit and finish
is clean inside and out. In the excellent seat, the fit is roomy enough for bigger paddlers to be comfortable, but not so big that smaller folks feel lost. Te fore deck is surprisingly low considering the inclusion of that fourth hatch. P&H has done a great job divvying up the available space so that the hatch space doesn’t cramp the seating area. One weaker aspect is the almost vestigial thigh hooks, which left me longing for a better grip on the boat. Official specs put the Cetus at 17 feet, 10
inches long (correct) and 21.5 inches wide (incorrect). In actual fact the boat is closer to 22 and 3/8 inches wide, but this is neither
28 ADVENTURE KAYAK | FALL 2008
1) TOSS IT IN THE GLOVE BOX! A brilliant little hatch on the fore deck provides access to a small but handy storage compartment for items like sunscreen or snacks.
BY P&H
here nor there as the kayak feels both efficient through the water and easy to place on edge. Primary stability is very solid as is secondary, with the Cetus happily sitting on edge and yielding very tight turns for such a long boat. Unloaded and with a light paddler, the
Cetus exhibits very light tracking and easily wanders off course. Dropping the skeg a little solves this problem and with heavier cargo tracking improves. Of course everything is a compromise, so when surfing, the rockered hull and light tracking are pluses, making con- trolling the boat and milking longer rides that much easier. Although the Cetus doesn’t really feel like a
big boat, there’s a ton of room below deck. Tis is really where the Cetus stands out. Tere are quite a few “British style” sea kayaks that are fun to paddle and that handle very well in wind and waves, but not many can swallow gear like the Cetus. Te Cetus is set to make friends with seri-
ous expedition paddlers who need large capac- ity and an efficient hull. Or indeed with any- one who wants a Brit boat but doesn’t fancy scrimping in the packing department.
2) A PINCH OF SKEG Rather than a cable, the Cetus relies on an unconventional shock cord to hold the skeg in the down position and a string to pull it up. The slider rides on a notched track and moves when you squeeze a trigger.
3) ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY?
P&H has the seat dialed; it’s both supportive and super comfy. The corrosion-prone rachets previously used to adjust the backband have been replaced with new buckles that look bombproof.
SPECS length width depth cockit
17 ft 10 in (543 cm) 21.5 in (54.5 cm) 12.2 in (31 cm)
34.25 x 20 in (87 x 51 cm)
total volume 100 gal (379 l) weight
MSRP
64 lb (29 kg) fibreglass/ Diolin (as tested) 57 lb (25.9 kg) Kevlar/carbon
$3,399 US (fibreglass) $3,899 US (Kevlar/carbon) $4,199 US (Ultralight clear hull)
phseakayaks.com
PHOTOS: ALEX MATTHEWS
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