Our Point Whisky 16 collects a few admirers

We have both fallen for the Whisky. "She" has a wee fan club. My husband wonders if we should become dealers. We have a bit of history with the brand.

This was not the start of my husband's love affair with Point 65N Sweden boats. No, that started a few years ago with a chance encounter in an REI during the winter attic sale. There, with the other used and returned boats, sat a Point 65N XO 16. The boat's lines attracted him right away. It is different from any other boat we've seen in our club. It had a pair of holes in it. Fork lifts and fiber glass (composite) boats really don't get along.

We had the chance to buy this completely unknown boat for a thousand bucks. The price seemed reasonable, and James said the repairs would be easy. Our confidence in the purchase was bolstered by James's "mad" glassing skills, experience gained during his semi-pro surfing days.

This boat has woven itself into the fabric of my husband's mystique; his long dark blond hair, his Thor's hammer around his neck, and this Swedish boat. My Viking husband. I say "Viking" in case there is some misconception of my husband being a "long-haired hippy." No, he is a long haired rock climber and surfer, neither laid-back nor a pot-smoking-peace-nik.

We often receive offers to buy the XO 16. We always say "no," but we can't blame other paddlers for wanting the boat. James makes it look good, and it is well sized for a tall lanky guy. It is too large for me. When I sit in it the cockpit rises up around my rib cage. It is like the XL sweat shirt I stole from my dad as a kid. Huge.

Pea Island Bird Reserve, Outer Banks, NC, 2013

Coltons Point, MD, 2013

Coltons Point, MD, 2013

Kathleen, James, and I on our first outing on the Potomac with the Whisky. credit K Ecott 2014

I really love the bright blue lines. They pop with color and character.

The new compass.

James put together a boat stand (prev. post), purchased some boat cleaner, ordered bright blue line and bungee from a climbing supply place, and went to town on his new boat. Years of grime disappeared and the boat looks amazing! He also installed the compass we purchased with the boat at Annapolis Canoe and Kayak.

He said "drilling the holes for the compass was the scariest thing I've done lately." Who puts holes in their boat on purpose, eh?

It still needs an application of 303 on those hatch covers but otherwise, "she's" ready to go. 

Even though Brian asked us not to, we continue to call this the "Brian Stevens maneuver." The challenge: push oneself out of the cockpit and on to the back deck and then balance there, paddling around. The maneuver is especially helpful when landing. Performed before one gets to the beach there is no need to struggle to rise. Instead, one simply stands when one's feet touch the sand under the boat.

Crossing Belmont Bay

Two Gulfstreams meet. Just wish I had been a tad closer.

Me in my Current Designs Solstice GTS. I've been using the rudder some with my injured shoulder. Just means I don't have to correct much with strokes.

James and Becky. Becky is in our Gulfstream. Upon landing back at Leesylvania she promptly made us an offer we couldn't refuse.

We had to say goodbye to a boat in order to have room in the quiver for the Whisky. We sold our Kevlar Current Designs Gulfstream to Becky, our good friend. We know the boat will have a good home with Becky, she's a known boat coddler. I had bought that boat for the husband at Christmas last year but for one reason or another the boat just wasn't comfortable for long days of paddling. As it didn't work for me either,  it was wise to re-home it. We hope "she'll" be better suited to her new owner!

In the meantime another paddler offered to buy the Whisky. He offered a thousand bucks over what we had paid to get "her." We said "no" but gave it some thought, even after the fact. Boat flipping, hmm...

Some comparisons of the Whisky:

It, hands down, catches waves and surfs better than the Gulfstream we sold. It is more nimble and has a bit more initial stability. It accelerates more quickly. It weighs more as it is fiber glass composite rather than Kevlar. The 6 or so pound difference might make it a bit harder to car-top than the Gulfstream.

In comparison to my NDK boat, it feels a bit less substantial  in chop than the Romany Surf. It skittered a bit in confused water. This is likely an effect of that shallow foot print Nigel spoke of during his video about the boat. While not really a negative, it is something both James and I noted separately.

We found the finish on the Whisky to be top-notch. It is silky-smooth inside the cockpit and hatches, well-finished. The finish speaks of attention to detail in the factory, even in this several years old boat. There are no rough edges or hanging fiber glass burrs to catch one's skin or clothes on. Very nice.

All in all, probably a 7.5 out of 10. We'd buy it all over again. 

Getting the Whisky 16 by Nigel Foster

(Look at the very bottom of this post for Nigel's superb video about the Whisky. After I posted this video to my fb feed one of my friends described him as the "boat whisperer." About right, he does speak softly so it is important to listen for "whispers.")

After taking a couple of classes with Nigel Foster, which he taught from a Whisky 16, I went on the prowl to find his boat. I had spoken with him at the East Coast Paddle and Outdoor Festival about the boat. I was keen for its lines and the way it held a lovely edge. All the while knowing that it would perform for Nigel at the top of its ability. After all, I am certain the "boat whisperer" could make even my tricky vixen Solstice turn on a dime.

After making a couple of phone calls I knew there was a potential to get a demo model from somewhere down south, Clearwater maybe, or that I could order one in a range of colors and choice of layups. If I chose to order it there would be no pre-buy demo allowed. I would have to buy it whether I was pleased with the boat after paddling it or not.

I talked it over with the husband and decided to ask Annapolis Canoe and Kayak to have the demo boat delivered there and James and I would drive up one day and test paddle it. It arrived mid-week right before Memorial Day weekend but none-the-less we risked an ugly drive in order to see and possibly attain this boat.

I brought my NDK Romany Surf along so that we could paddle out together and really take a test spin. Honestly, I had originally wanted the boat for myself but upon making a good deal with SKC for the Surf I could not justify another nimble boat for myself; but the husband, now him, I could buy it for.

Besides being grimy the boat was in good shape, just needing some new deck lines and a really good scrubbing. Out on the water we took turns playing in it, turning and spinning on edge. It is quick and nimble. Well pleased by this sexy boat we decided to buy and run.

Nestled atop my Outback, next to a boat designed by the "other" famous Nigel, it looked quite at home.