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Lincoln Seguin Kayak Review

Posted by on September 13, 2013

Overview:

“Lincoln’s newest kayak symbolizes the beauty and exhilaration that comes from exploring our local waterways. Inspired through 25 years of paddling Maine’s unforgettable coastline, its precise and graceful lines are truly functional for everyday paddling. From open and exposed bays to calm and protected harbors, the Seguin is designed to be playful in nature without compromise to efficiency and handling in all conditions.” – Lincoln Canoe and Kayak

Image Courtesy of Lincoln Canoe & Kayak

Image Courtesy of Lincoln Canoe & Kayak

The Deets:

Material: Kevlar/Fiberglass or Kevlar

Class: Touring

Length: 15’6”

Width: 22.5’’

Deck Height: 12”

Cockpit Size: 16” x 30.5”

Ideal Load: 110lbs to 170lbs

Weight: 42lbs (fiberglass/Kevlar), 38lbs (Kevlar)

Rudder/Skeg: Skeg

MSRP: $2999.00 (Fiberglass/Kevlar), $3399.00 (Kevlar)

 

The Review

The Seguin by Lincoln Canoe and Kayak is the newest model in a wonderful line of handcrafted kayaks designed and built in the great state of Maine. This wonderful kayak was born on a base of both art and science thanks to a collaborative effort between Lincoln Canoe and Kayak and The Landing School, one of Maine’s preeminent marine industry programs. Up until now, Lincoln had always designed their kayaks the old fashion way; with the grace and style that can only be achieved BY HAND. This time Lincoln’s master minds were looking for something different and they turned to the computer-aided design experts at the Landing School to produce a kayak that would literally break their mold and usher in a new age. The result is the Seguin; a dream of a touring kayak that is well suited for those of us with a broad paddling horizon!

Seguin1

One look at the Seguin is all that you’ll need to appreciate that it’s a sharp divergence from the classic Lincoln style. First, they traded in the notoriously voluptuous lines seen in the Quoddy Lite, Chebeague, and Isle Au Haut for a sleeker, more Greenland-esque look. Above the waterline one will notice a flatter, low-profile deck that allows for less windage on open waters and greater ease of re-entry. Below the waterline is an impressive hull that offers an excellent balance of stability and maneuverability thanks to it shallow-V shape and moderate rocker, respectively. Second, they traded in their open cockpit layout for a key-hole design with integrated thigh braces that makes you feel more connected to the kayak. Finally, they added in a cable-operated drop skeg (gasp!) as a tracking aid (more on this below).

Seguin 2

I’ve had the pleasure of paddling the Seguin in a variety of conditions our lake and I was very pleased with how it performed! I’m especially impressed with how well the Seguin tracks despite its mere 15’8” length and “playful” hull shape. The first time that I paddled the Seguin was on a flat calm day and I was concerned that the excellent tracking that I experienced was too good to be true. So I purposefully waited for a stiff SW wind to churn up the lake and provide the Sequin with a real test. It didn’t seem to matter which way I traveled to the wind (up, down, cross, quarter) in these choppy waters; the Sequin always stayed on course without much corrective effort!

Seguin Stormy Day

The stability profile of the Seguin is also something to marvel at. It displays confidence-inducing primary stability suitable for beginners with a smooth transition to excellent secondary stability. The solid secondary stability coupled with moderate rocker makes the Seguin quite playful on edge. This complements its straight-forward tracking quite nicely to provide a versatile kayak capable of both near-coastal play and longer trips that may require open crossings. The best part is that you get all of this versatility in a light-weight package (only 42lbs in glass, 38lbs in Kevlar) so that you can get down to the launch without breaking your back!

Seguin Cockpit View

I was most impressed with the cockpit outfitting of the Sequin. My small frame has always left me feeling a bit lost in the more voluminous cockpits found in the classic Lincoln kayaks such as the Quoddy Lite. It just never felt like I had the connection with the kayak that I was looking for. The key-hole cockpit set-up in the Seguin was a great design decision. The integrated thigh braces are placed perfectly to make you feel one with this kayak! I really appreciate the 12inch depth of the cockpit as it balances the idea of a low profile deck while remaining accommodating. There is enough room in there for a size 12 shoe and the deck is still high enough to provide a comfortable seating position without forcing your knees down too low. I found the seat to be simple yet comfortable and the wide back-band to be quite supportive. The Seguin is rounded off with a lot of other great outfitting features including a day hatch, fore and aft deck bungees, and full-perimeter deck lines. I’m also glad to see that the designers resisted the temptation to add a deck pod to the Seguin because I feel as though it would have taken away from the great feel of the cockpit in this particular kayak.

Seguin Cockpit

There was only one thing that I wasn’t completely impressed with in the Seguin and that was the cable-operated drop skeg. The Seguin seemed to track well enough even in choppy, quartering seas to leave me wondering if the skeg is even necessary at all. A lot of folks like to have the option of a skeg but this may be an instance where removing it would save additional weight and rear hatch space without sacrificing performance. My opinion regarding the skeg was confounded by the fact that the skeg in the Seguin that demoed was hard to deploy and jammed frequently. This type of issue is common to cable-operated skeg especially if the cable is not sufficiently supported throughout its length such that it’s allowed to kink when in compression which happens during deployment. I’ve brought this issue up to the folks at Lincoln and they have assured me that it is a boat specific issue and is not reflected across the Seguin model.

Overall, I’m thoroughly impressed with the performance and feel of the Seguin! Yes, it’s a stark contrast to the classic Lincoln kayaks but I feel as though the designers really hit this nail on the head. The performance of the Seguin is exceptional with a balance of solid tracking (without using the skeg) and playfulness on edge. I was especially fond of the key-hold cockpit and the connected feeling that it creates between paddler and the Seguin. This is something that I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of in future Lincoln kayak models!

Pros: Excellent cockpit fit. Great balance of stability and handling.

Cons: Cable Skeg

Demo Notes: The Seguin was test paddled on an inland lake with 1ft waves and 10-15mph winds.

KayakDave.com Rating:

4 paddles

 

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