Emotion Shakespere - Angler120
White Water Consultancy kindly offered us a demonstration of the New EmotionShakespere Angler 120 and we were only to glad to put it through its paces, especially as it is the model kindly donated as the 1st Prize for Oxwich 2010 Fishing Festival.
So lets start with what it says on the tin.......
http://www.shakespearekayaks.com/HTML/boats/angler120.html
For anglers wanting to step up in performance and gain the ability to journey further from the launch, the Angler 120 is the perfect choice. With both internal and external storage options, carrying all your gear has never been easier. The bow hatch with both a neoprene soft cover and a hard polyethylene hatch, protects gear that needs to be dry inside the boat. A tank well on the stern holds bulky items such as: dry boxes, milk crates, live wells or an oversize tackle case. All easily accessible at an arms reach.
FEATURES:
- Quiet sleek bow
- Adjustable foot pegs
- Neoprene soft hatch cover for waterproof protection
- Polyethylene hard hatch cover on top with bungee security
- Flush mounted rod holders
- Paddle ledge with paddle keepers
- Raised seating area
- Foot divots for support when standing
- Comfortable seating area
- Tank well indents will hold a bucket, milk crate or dry box
- Adjustable/removable console features drink holder, GPS mount, rod holder and dry box (tackle) storage
- Line cleat — perfect for tying off, anchoring, etc.
- Includes 230cm paddle and seat back shown
- LENGTH: 12 ft. 4 in. (396 cm)
- WIDTH: 31 in. (79 cm)
- WEIGHT: 52 lbs. (~24 kg)
- WEIGHT CAPACITY: 250 - 325 lbs (depends on water conditions)
The Trial
The first thing I noticed, given the length being slightly shorter than my regular sea angling yak it was easily managable to lift on and off the roofrack of my car, and being a relatively smallish car(Fiesta) it was still carried with ease.
Starting at the bow, the front hatch while slightly narrower than Ive been used to, neatly expressed the aerodynamic front which slices through the water with hardly any slap.
Moving to the footwell, it has two main scuppers & drains efficiently. It sports an Angling console which is secured very tightly in place while paddling. On first glance I was concerned the console would restrict leg movement but the space available is sparing and the console is very neat and adjustable to keep things easily within reach. The foot pegs are easily adjusted and feel sturdy when applying pressure.
As we move to the seat well we come across the 2 paddle keepers on each side of the seat, easily reached from sitting position. There is also a ridge present which ensures water is detered from the seat well and worked well when water came over the sides. The seat position is well balanced and provides a comfortable paddling position. The seat used was not the standard seat which is sold with the Kayak, but given a well padded seat the kayak was very comfortable given its high seat well and sides.
The stern of the kayak hosts a large tankwell area with bungees for plenty of storage of drybox, dry bags or even a catch.
Having given it a once over the proper trial began and I enjoyed the paddle which was conducted in calm conditions. It tracked very well and turned with ease. Given the hull shape the stability of the kayak excelled expectation and this was tested to the max as illustrated in the SWKA You Tube video.
The Verdict
With this Yak yet to be tested on the open seas initial testing went well and look out for the next review on the Shakespeare Angler 140 kindly donated by White Water Consultancy as the Main prize for Oxwich 2011.
