Hi, I just bought a Necky Alsek 14', and am wondering what the best way to store it is, and how good it is for open ocean? Thanks!

Hi, congrats on your new boat!

Here are some reviews from paddling.net

http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=257

that should give you an idea about open ocean performance. One very important thing is the kayak has only one bulkhead in the stern. In open ocean you've got to be sure that if you capsize, the length of the boat floats above water so that you can get back in. If it has floatation in just one end, the bow will flood, sink and you'll be left w. "Cleopatra's Needle" a vertical boat.

It needs additional buoyancy in the bow. The usual solution is a pair of float bags.

Also, if you don't have full perimeter deck lines on this boat, you should install them. If you need toggles on one or both ends, install them. All give you or someone else an easy grab hold on your boat during rescues or other maneouvres.

As to storage, keep it off the ground, put on a cockpit cover.
If you are using suspended storage, rack it so that the bulkhead rests on one support and the thickest part of the bow on the other. Do not tie it up by its ends, it will warp.

Thanks very much! All the info was unknown and appreciated!

Best of luck with the new boat. IMHO, a 14' boat with one bulkhead does not belong on the open ocean other than on very short trips in mild conditions. Flotation bags, to be useful, must be secured well to the boat. It may be impossible to empty enough water after a capsize to float with enough stability to re-enter the boat. Also you should ensure that the aft bulkhead is well sealed with no leaks. There are paddlers who can safely use a 14' boat in open water, but it may pose unacceptable risks for most paddlers. A longer boat (>15') with two good bulkheads and two good hatches is more or less unsinkable and can be reboarded with practice in safe conditions by almost anyone. I've seen a good paddler try unsuccessfully to empty and re-enter a single-bulkhead boat, even with assistance. Paddle safely.

Paul, not that I am advocating taking a boat without adequate floatation at both bow and stern into the open ocean, but I don't understand your statement that, "There are paddlers who can safely use a 14' boat in open water, but it may pose unacceptable risks for most paddlers." Are boats shorter than 15 feet really more difficult to handle in ocean conditions?

Many paddlers take long challenging trips on open water with shorter boats, like the Alsek. The paddler in the post sounds like he is new to sea kayaking. One of the reviews mentioned, cited paddling in 8-10' waves. This seems like a real stretch. A 14' boat will be harder to control with following wind and waves and is more susceptible to broaching. This can be mitigated by a paddler skilled and experienced in rough water travel. A shorter boat like the Alsek will have less buoyancy with the boat partly flooded. It may be difficult to empty not only the cockpit, but the water in the bow that is not displaced by the flotation bags. The bags will keep it from sinking but may not insure re-entry. Just my personal opinion, but I would rather rent or borrow a sea kayak, rather than take a rec boat into conditions it was not designed for.

Paul, I totally agree with your comments about shorter boats maybe not having sufficient floatation, especially if the boat has no forward bulkhead. Thanks for the information about a shorter boat being more susceptible to broaching in following wind and waves. As the paddler of a 12.5-ft sea kayak, I had always wondered why many folks say that shorter sea kayaks are less safe on big water - other than the obvious of less volume for floatation and less speed to paddle out of rough conditions.

I also own one 16-5-ft kayak, and have paddled other 16-17-ft sea kayaks and have found that while the longer boats do seem to have less tendancy to broach in following wind and waves, they were also more difficult (at least at my skill level) to re-alighn with the direction of wind and waves if they do get sideways. Longer boats also seem more difficult to turn downwind in rough conditions. If I am out alone on the water and not trying to keep up with a group of longer boats, I generally prefer my shorter and lighter kayak.

Great food for thought. Yes, I am fairly new to Kayaking. I plan on keeping the Alsek either on local rivers or in the protected areas of the Boston Harbor. Thanks much!

Impex Mystic & Dagger Alchemy are both 14 feet and fully capable seakayaks. Don't get too caught up in the length, there are so many other factors.

Jim, your plan for the Alsek is good - get some floatation in the bow, install some extra deck rigging, and she'll be good to go in the waters you suggest.