|
Review | 2014 Fatyak Mahee Kayak
Fatyak have kindly sent us a Mahee kayak to review and we’ll be reporting back, as we paddle the dramatic North Devon coastline during the 2014 season.
The Mahee is a tandem kayak suitable for use on lakes, slow-moving rivers, estuaries and for surf or exploration at sea. However, due to its versatile design it can also be used by a family, with a small child seated centrally or by solo paddler, seated in the central position.
Packaging
Our Fatyak Mahee arrived well packaged, wrapped in strong polythene to protect the outer shell of the kayak, foam wrapped on the bow and stern with cardboard protecting the sides. The two-piece RUK paddles (branded with Fatyak stickers) and basic seatbacks were included within the same package, individually wrapped, alongside the kayak.
First Impressions
We requested orange, yellow or red as our preferred colour (with our ideal choice being orange!) as we have always felt that black or shades of blue or green are not ideally placed in a marine-environment, from a safety aspect - particularly as our main stretch of coastline, where we predominantly use our kayaks, is busy over the summer months with a range of watercraft. These include jetskis and tourist boats, yachts and powerboats - we want to be easily seen, considering the rapid rate that some of these craft are travelling at! Fatyak took our request on board and kindly sent us a vivid orange kayak, made to order and delivered promptly, within two days of it’s final build.
However, nine colours are available, depending on your personal thoughts and preferences: these include light or dark blue, green and a particularly striking white finish. In addition to these, pink or purple are available and the red, yellow and orange already mentioned.
On unwrapping the Mahee it was immediately evident that the fixtures and fittings were of a very high standard and that a considerable amount of thought had gone in to research and design. The kayak is finished with black Fatyak stickers on each side, a Mahee sticker on the top and it proudly wears a ‘Made in the UK’ label. In fact, Fatyak are designed and manufactured (in accordance with BS7852) just a short journey away from us, at Williton in Somerset. And it is great to see such a well-thought out products being created by a British company and so close to home.
We are impressed to see a safety label prominently marked, a serial number and safety guides included within one of the hatches of the kayak, in addition to two stickers and two branded floatation keyrings. Sometimes it’s small details such as these, which can make a difference to overall customer perception of a brand. The serial number is, of course, useful for guarantee purposes but with the unfortunate increase in thefts of kayaks, it is also useful in aiding any recovery to its rightful owner, should it be stolen. The safety label and guides are a great inclusion: again, as kayaks are becoming increasingly popular it is evident that people with no, or very little knowledge of kayaking, are taking to the water - it is good to see that their safety is clearly being recognised and we hope this will have a positive impact on both new paddlers and in reminding experienced kayakers of the relevant safety precautions to follow, as recommended by the British Canoe Union and the UK Coastguard.
We have no concerns whatsoever as to the standard of the manufacturing process.
|
