It isn't a race horse, but it's fast enough. (If you want fast, you'll need longer than 15' and narrower than 23".) The testers at Sea Kayaker magazine got it up between 4-5 mph (see their review).
The guy complained and complained and complained, but refused to use exact numbers. All I know is that at 46 pounds, my Merlin is the envy of everyone I paddle with. Light enough to take it off and put it on the car top all by myself, a plus for me because I like to paddle alone. I, for one, love the material; it's light, stays stiff in hot weather, and looks great. (If NDK made a Romany in Carbonlite, I would be tempted to defect!)
If you can get a kevlar kayak for half the price of a Merlin, tell me where! If my math is correct, half of $1,999 is around $1,000. I'd like to know where our mystery author is finding a kevlar kayak for that. I'd buy them all up and resell them for a thousand dollars more, and still be selling them for a thousand dollars less than the prices I see advertised. At $1,999 a Merlin XT isn't cheap. But it's a great boat, and they're famous for retaining their resale value (I paid $1,700 for my 2003, and got $1,000 for the Skylark I sold before that).
And if he can't keep upright in a 23" kayak (!), well, I don't want to be ungracious, but it does call into question his paddling skills. I've only been paddling for a year, and I have no problems keeping the boat upright. The Romany Explorer that I paddled--now sure, that was twitchy--but a Merlin XT?!?! For me, it was much harder learning to edge. But that, I think, was a beginner's problem--let's call it a question of "faith": it took the longest time to believe putting a boat on its edge wouldn't tip it over. But after I sat in the boat for a while on dry ground and got a feel for what it should feel like on its edge in the water, now I am paddling around edging as comfortably as a duck! (Do ducks edge?) (In a word--I like it.)
And I don't know what his problem is/was with fit. At 35" x 19", I find my 35" x 19" cockpit opening plenty large, embarrassingly large, to accomodate my 6' and 230 lbs. Maybe--as a previous poster suggested--Eddyline has changed the cockpit hole size over the years. My problem has been outfitting the boat with hip braces, but that isn't a problem specific to Eddyline or Merlin boats; all boats are like that.
Do I like the V-hull? I think it's great. If I could make any changes, I'd add some more rocker ("banana") to the boat. But then it wouldn't be an Eddyline; Eddyline's been making 'em long and fast for years. That's their signature feature.
In sum, I don't know what the guy is talking about. He clearly works for some other company or has a gripe, some bone to pick with Eddyline. I love my Merlin--the awesome "sea dog" foot pegs, the new rubber hatches are great--and can't wait to get it out into the big stuff in the San Juans this summer (Eddyline's backyard)!
There's an endorsement. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Or better yet: go check out Sea Kayaker Magazine's boat review and tell me that's partial! Mr. grumble-grumble, don't-know-how-to-keep-a-kayak-upright.
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Date Posted:11:19:10 05/07/08 Wed
Have had my Merlin for quite a few years (maybe 10)... paid around $1400 as the third Kayak owned and bought it as a day paddler as my big old glass Mariner xl was hard to toss around at times on difficult put-in locations and on the car or truck alone.... the Merlin was kind of a midlife corvette purchase for me and while a bit tippy loading and sitting but provides an opportunity for screwing around carving nice turns... ya do have to pay attention in the waves and it can make your pulse race in weather but stays up fine.... the keyhole could be bigger and the deck riggin is crap otherwise is a fun light boat for day paddle with enough capacity for overnighters and longer.....
