Dagger Charleston 14 & 15 Review
>>Reviews>>Touring & Sea>>Dagger Charleston 14 & 15 |
Touring kayaks are, in general, shorter, wider, more affordable versions of sea kayaks. Touring kayaks are longer, narrower versions of day touring kayaks. So there you have it - the industry standard for touring kayaks is 14 foot for low volume boats and 15 foot for higher volume.
Lets kick things off with a nice picture. I am no photographer (!) but I am really pleased with this photo. It is the start of an early morning paddle on the tidal River Dart starting at Totnes, followed by a more purposeful paddle to Dartmouth Castle and back. We used the ebb tide to help us down the estuary and the flood tide on the way back. |
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The Charleston 15 is the most appropriate size for me so that is the kayak featured in the photos in this review. However, what we think about the Charleston 15 can equally be applied to the Charleston 14.
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The configuration and outfitting of the Charleston is similar to almost all touring kayaks: two storage hatches, two bulkheads, and an efficient hull shape with reasonable forward speed. All this in a hull that is relatively stable with a cockpit configuration suitable for the majority of paddlers. |
The longer and narrower the kayak, the faster and more tippy it becomes. Marathon and Sprint kayaks are only stable (i.e. not capsizing) when in motion.
This is obviously not a requirement of a Touring kayak. If the occasional mackeral or two needs your attention at the end of a spinner your kayak needs to be sufficiently stable to stop paddling and land the fish (mind you, from this point on all your kit stinks of fish and you often wonder if it wouldn't be simpler to get the mackerel from the shop on the way home...).
The "D-section" hull is very well-mannered and there are no sudden lurches towards tippiness. The hull shape inspires confidence because it is so well-behaved. The chined hulles on the Venture Easky's offer different feedback, but we will deal with that another day.
The Charlestons, by virtue of their length, give greater forward speed than you can achieve from their smaller cousin, the Blackwater 10.5. So Tourers tend to cover more ground and paddling excursions are often longer than those of Day Touring paddlers. More kit can be stowed in a touring kayak so the opportunity to weekend and tour from the kayak increases.
The drop-down skegs fitted to the Charlestons are more useful than those fitted to shorter boats. Longer kayaks are more susceptible to weather cocking in quartering winds and seas. Dropping the skeg, edgeing the kayak and off-centring your paddles will help to manage weather cocking. The Charlestons are as good as any in quartering seas. If you are struggling with weather cocking it is possible you have read the condition incorrectly or you have over-inflated your paddling abilities. A cautionary note: if your kayak is fitted with either a skeg or a rudder you should be confident paddling in poor condition without using either; the day will come (they always do) when the skeg or rudder malfunctions in poor conditions and you will be required to paddle well.
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Touring suggests you will attempt more challenging distances and conditions so rest assured the Charlestons are up to the job. Dagger plastic and moulding techniques are of industry-leading standards and the outfitting is very reliable. If they were not then I would not be wasting my time reviewing their kayaks. Paddlers who favour calmer conditions but want improved forward speed that comes with a 14 or 15 footer should consider the Charlestons. So if canal or estuary touring is what you enjoy the Charlestons can tick that box as well. |
Dagger Charleston Paddling Experience
These are well-built, comfortable boats capable of sea-touring in more testing conditions. They are equally suited to calmer day- or multi-day touring expedtions. I fancy taking on a canal tour next year as a real change from my usual coastal touring trips. A Charleston 15 would be as good a way as any to knock out 20+ miles a day with ease and style. |
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I'm sure I had a canal pub touring map somewhere.....
Spraydeck
The Dagger Charleston takes a range of spraydecks in UK size 5 (R5 or N5). We would recommend a Palm Roanoke or Loweswater spraydeck for those looking for a neoprene deck, or a Palm Coniston if you are after a good Nylon deck.
Dagger Charleston Statistics
Charleston 14 |
Charleston 15 |
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Dagger Charleston Review by
Codger & Duffer (September)
for Canoe Shops Group