Getting back to performance Sea Kayaking
with the Stellar SILV.
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The lingering smell of recently cured resin can only mean one thing – a new boat.
But this is no ordinary scent, this one is epoxy new kayak smell !
It’s not unlike the “new car smell” – something that feels a bit special that only comes around every so often and eventually fades away. Depending on the type of construction and resins used or adhesives applied, that scent can range from mild to strong to overpowering. Without mentioning any names, the truth is that some kayaks really smell bad inside!
The subject here is a brand new Stellar sea kayak, and I’m happy to say that it falls into the “mild” scent category.
This is because it is an epoxy resin layup, rather than the more commonly used polyester resin. As such the smell is strangely somewhat pleasant, so yeah, kinda like that new car smell.
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Into the wild blue yonder, en route for the maiden voyage of my Stellar SILV sea kayak.
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My new sea kayak is a Stellar Intrepid LV (SILV) model in the standard Advantage layup. This one is the more petite and slightly scaled down version of Stellar’s Intrepid kayak. The Advantage construction features a foam core composite sandwich with epoxy infused fiberglass which results in a very stiff but light kayak. It is used on both the hull and the deck, which are joined in a seam that is glassed over inside and out. I actually weighed the kayak and true to spec, it comes in at 43 lbs. This is a pretty good number, making it easy to pickup, load and carry. I tend to carry boats on my head, so the light weight and the seat padding makes this easy and comfortable.
The light weight is something I’ve been looking for in a sea kayak!
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A Stellar encounter – two cruise ships meet at Port Everglades.
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Stellar SILV sea kayak (Intrepid LV)
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This kayak is really interesting to me because of the low volume and thus more petite dimensions. At 6’2″ and 170lbs, I am at the upper range for this design and I see this as a good thing. It means that I can easily ‘overpower’ this boat, particularly when using a wing paddle. This is my second Stellar boat, the first being my SES G2 surfski aka the GREY GHOST. I’m also at the upper end on the design envelope for the SES, and benefit from it for the same reasons.
I got this kayak to enjoy the simple beauty of ‘the joy of paddling’, and the light weight is a big part of that. Being so light and petite, this boat can respond very quickly to any blade and hip movement.
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My Stellar SILV at rest in Port Everglades, Ft Lauderdale – her home port. La dolce vita!
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The acquisition of my first Stellar – the SES surfski set me off on an exploration of wing paddles for years to come. So I’ve been paddling with various wings about 90% of the time for over 5 years now. Before that however, I paddled extensively with my Greenland sticks. The SILV pairs well with either and I look forward to some quality time using both. One thing I am noticing is that my ‘mid’ wood GP stick feels kinda “blunt” with this boat. It does not have the ‘precise’ kind of feel that carbon wing paddles present at the catch and release. So I am trying out a carbon Greenland Paddle with a very thin tip that may be a better match.
With my ‘Gamma’ type wing, paddling the SILV in a surfski-style manner feels quite fast and very stable. The foot pegs allow for a solid push for good leg drive and there is just enough room for my knees at the peak of the coaming. Of course my knees can slip under the thigh braces in a split second for more extreme edging. I’m also finding that a raised foam seat pad helps slightly with posture and allows me to lay back easier, something I will explore later with the carbon GP.
So while the wing can bring the SILV up to speed,
it’s the Greenland stick that will make her dance!
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Perhaps the final phase of beach re-nourishment taking place at the north end of Dania Beach.
The shifting sands of time – Beach erosion and re-nourishments in Dania Beach.
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The SILV has a generous amount of rocker in the stern and with the wing paddle the skeg needs to come into play almost all the time to some extent. Some purists might not like this, though it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The design allows this boat to feel nice and loose when retracted, yet track solid in any conditions when deployed. After all, some native skin boats also needed skegs (not to mention ballast stones too). In contrast to Stellar’s other designs many of which are swede form, this one is very nearly symmetric – if ever so slightly fish form. It translates into balanced handling in the chop and any conditions, and this kayak doesn’t care whether it’s going forward or backwards. In fact paddling backwards, the SILV tracks nearly perfectly since there is less rocker in the bow.
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Stellar SILV sea kayak (Intrepid LV) symmetry!
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I’m not sure why, but Stellar claims that the SILV has hard chines, although I see no evidence of this. The chines are well defined, yes – but there is certainly no hard edge to them. I have actual hard chine boats and the SILV is not one of them. Regardless of the verbiage, this kayak handles great and I find it easy to direct it with my hips.
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Stellar Kayaks is an interesting 21st century company.
In their relatively short history, they’ve already brought several gems to the market.
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Stellar Kayaks is a company that is really coming into it’s own in the 2020s. Barely fifteen years on the market, they are one of a few kayak companies not necessarily rooted in the last century. It’s evident at first glance that Stellar kayaks and surfskis are thoroughly modern from the design to construction and the fit and finish. These are high end boats, built to high standards and are generally well known for that.
The more old school kayak designs were often started by kayakers making their own boats out of necessity when the sport of Sea Kayaking was very young. Some later became the famous “guru” kayak personalities we know and love to this day, having brought us timeless classic designs. Their designs were in turn based on ancient Inuit kayaks housed in European museums. In contrast, the Stellar approach seems more analytical in nature as they start off with the cleanest and most efficient hull designs, no doubt extensively modeled in Naval computer software. This we know for sure, especially for their surfskis – but as for the inner workings at Stellar, not much is really known. I would imagine that they must receive scores of input from top level paddlers on the deck layout and ergonomics and style. The Stellar boats are generally well thought out, comfortable and fast! Whatever their design formula is, it is definitely working.
Down here in Southeast Florida, the place to get a Stellar boat is at Liquid Surf and Sail in Ft Lauderdale. In fact it’s the place to get all your kayak and watersports gear in general because nobody else has the kind of breadth and scope available locally!
Full disclosure:
I do work there, so I might be a little bit opinionated on this. But check around and you’ll see!
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Sticks, Wings and beautiful boats! 🙂
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I did take advantage of employee pricing extended to me from Stellar. However, I purchased this kayak with my own money and have not received any compensation to write about it. Composite kayaks like this one have never been inexpensive, but they are still (barely) affordable and can represent good value. I’m not a serial boater who acquires and resells kayaks just to try them out. I tend to buy for the long term. For example my Seda Glider aka ‘Banana Boat’ is going strong since 1992 and continues to be my choice for long distance trekking and camping in the Everglades. I only get a boat if I know I’m gonna love paddling it or if it fulfills a certain function very well.
So the light weight and delightful paddling manners of this new kayak signal a fun return to Sea Kayaking for me! 🙂
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The Stellar Intrepid LV (SILV) sea kayak is really fun to paddle.
The lightweight and low volume design with generous stern rocker makes for a very responsive boat!
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From SILV to .. CANDY-O !
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I love to name boats. So my Stellar SILV shall be known as
‘CANDY-O‘
😮
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Next installment we’ll take a more detailed look at the SILV
and some simple and useful customizations.
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CANDY-O !Bless UP
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© 2023 – Flex Maslan – kayakfari.com
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DISCLAIMER:
The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary, so use good judgement before venturing out!
This could well be a work of fiction. So any characters appearing in this work might truly be fictitious. Also any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is probably intentional. However no skeleton, no barbie, nor person or kayak was harmed in the making of this work. The author is sorely responsible for the contents of this work!
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The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!
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With that said..
Blessings friends!
🙂
kayakfari ( kayak .. far .. i ) 