When we first saw the Chatham, we were impressed. After 20 year of kayaking we don’t get impressed by many new kayaks. The Chatham line of kayaks is our favorite Necky designs and people looking to purchase a kayak should test paddle these boats. Chatham is a new Necky kayak that is available as the Chatham 16 (16’ 5?), Chatham 17 (17’ 1.5?) and Chatham 18 (17’ 9?), with the 16 and 17 available in both composite and plastic. The Chatham line is a very different kayak for Necky Kayaks. The hull has a flat bottom with semi-hard chines giving it a narrow, but stable design.

The outfitting on the Chatham is outstanding. Necky took their whitewater outfitting and put it in the Chatham line. The backband is easily adjustable from the cockpit and the thigh supports can be moved fore/aft and even tilted. Everyone says a kayak should fit like a glove, but now Necky has a line of boats what will fit many paddlers perfectly. The hip pads can be removed or thickened by adding additional foam behind the pads with only two screws. The cockpit/seat is narrow and will not fit wider paddlers. The Chatham 16 should appeal to kayakers who like the NDK Romany or the VCP Avocet.

The Chatham 16 tracks well and edges nicely. The top end speed is low. While it cruses nicely at three knots, when you try to push it, the Chatham 16 reaches top speed quickly. Many people will not find this a problem as they don't want or need to go fast. If you have a good forward stroke and paddle with faster kayakers, then think about the Chatham 17.

Necky says the skeg cable is unkinkable. With over a year of use it looks like the Necky cable holds up better than any other skeg we have seen. The downside of the Necky Chatham skeg is that the cable is very stiff and it is harder to adjust than others. Also, the cable runs through the rear hatch opening (see photo). It can be moved out of the way while packing or unpacking, but can't be mounted out of the way. This is because the tighter turn in the cable (if moved out of the way) makes it impossible to move the skeg adjuster.

The cockpit and seat are very narrow. Too narrow for many paddlers. Anyone with wide hips will not fit. This is a shame as the side of the seat has hip pads which can be swapped out for thicker pads to fit narrow hips. An extra inch or two would allow a much wider range of paddlers to fit the Chatham 16.

Behind the cockpit, the Chatham has a webbing strap with a buckle to be used for a paddle float self rescue. As we don't think this is how a paddle float self rescue should be done, we don't like this option. An optional deck mounted tow bag would have been a better "cool" feature. The strap does not do any harm, but it may be of use to a few kayakers.

We give Necky a hand for using VCP hatch covers. These are still the best hatch covers in the industry. Necky mounts the hatch covers differently from the way that Valley does, however. In VCP kayaks, the rim of the hatch cover gets seated flush with the deck of the boat, giving it a double seal. Necky installs the hatch rim on the deck, so it doesn't have the double seal. VCP's double-seal design is very reliable, but it can be difficult to do in normal conditions, and almost impossible in cold weather, when covers and fingers get stiff. While the double seal is desirable, we can understand why Necky chose a different approach. We need more testing to determine if the hatches are as water tight as VCP hatches should be.

We think the Chatham 16 is a great new addition to the sea kayaking market. If you fit this kayak, this boat should be on your short list. The Chatham 16 should appeal to kayakers who like the NDK Romany or the VCP Avocet. By comparison, the Avocet is a faster kayak. The fit of the Romany, Avocet and Chatham 16 will appeal to different kayakers.

Make sure you also read the information about the Chatham 18 and Chatham 17. While these kayaks are similar, we have different information and photos on both pages.

User Input: This is a comfortable kayak. The Necky cockpit outfitting makes it easy to set up the boat for a good, snug fit. Initial stability is high, and it edges and rolls well. It handles a lot like a Romany, but less crisply. The low front deck looks like it might provide a wet ride in a good chop. BV

Necky Kayaks says: The flowing lines of the Chatham series are inspired by classic British designs. The 16 is built to minimize windage, have great maneuverability and superb rough water performance. The hull has a very full chine, which provides great stability for a boat of this beam and quick response to edging and lean turns. Volume in the bow is carried well forward ensuring good resurfacing characteristics when riding through wind waves or punching surf. A drop skeg, three bulkheads and water resistant VCP hatches complete the package. This boat truly excels at coastal exploration through surf zones, rock gardens and convoluted rip tides. Polymer construction yields amazing durability and resiliency.

Download Necky Chatham 16 Data Sheet PDF (High Quality 394KB)

Download Necky Chatham 16 Data Sheet PDF (Low Quality 138KB)

Chatham 16 Standard Equipment

Material: Fiberglass, Carbon, Polyethylene

Three Watertight fiberglass bulkheads

VCP Hatches

Day Hatch

Recessed deck fittings for deck lines and bungee cords

Compass recess

Yakima foot braces

Retractable Skeg (?Necky Wire?; Self-Healing, Kink-Free Wire),

Adjustable Thigh Braces

Adjustable Hip Pads

Backband with Forward Seat Adjustment (features easy to use ratchet system)

Low Deck Profile for Reduced Windage

Specifications

Length: 16', 5", Width: 22"

Cockpit: 31" X. 15"

Hatches

• Front: 16"x9"
• Rear: 16"x9"
• Day 7.5"

Weight

Fiberglass: 49 Lbs.

Carbon: 45 Lbs.

Polyethylene: 59 Lbs.

2007 MSRP

• Polyethylene with Skeg $1,699
• Fiberglass with Skeg $2,999
• Advanced Composite with Skeg $3,699

Images courtesy of Necky Kayaks