The Pakesso

On May 27, 2025 I purchased a used Boreal Design Pakesso. Pakesso is the Abenaki name for the partridge aka the ruffed grouse - not sure why a waterfowl was not chosen. Here are the specifications:

Length: 14' 6" (441.5 cm) - the shortest kayak I have used
Width: 21.6" (55 cm)
Height: 15.2" (38.7 cm) - hmm, room for big feet
Weight: 38.8 lbs (17.6 kg) 

Maximum capacity: 260 lbs (118 kg)
Outer cockpit dimensions: 16” x 30” (40.5 x 76 cm)

Serial No. QBOPK614M03J

The latter suggests that the kayak was born around 2003. It is swede form, rudder (not skeg), with fore and aft hatches. The less ancient Pakesso kayaks provide a skeg and day hatch by default. Although I like a day hatch, this kayak seems too short for that feature. In particular, it is trivial to stick my kayak cart in the rear hatch; otherwise with a skeg box that would be problematic. For its length, this kayak has quite a bit of water length.

The skeg control is via the justly derided sliding foot pegs. Yet the skeg deployment system is easily repaired in the field. Since this would be our guest kayak, I am unlikely to move to a Sea Dog system or some other fixed accelerator style foot peg - as I did for my wife's Necky IV Looksha.

My only other Boreal Design kayak was an Ellesmere, which was a splendid kayak. Nowadays kayak models come and go, also true of the original companies. This is true of Boreal Design in both cases.  

So, in an optimistic frame of mind, I took the Pakesso for a drive on Sand Creek. For starters, the skirt fit the boat ... but the tunnel was too narrow to fit me. I am not slender, but at 5' 5" and under 140 pounds, I am not plump. I should have checked the fit! No big deal, but how did the kayak behave? Yikes, it leecocked fiercely; so back to shore to load the kayak as stern heavy as I could. That helped marginally, but it remains a somewhat dangerous kayak. Well, back to the seller.