This is the real deal, a genuine composite (not plastic) sea kayak handbuilt by NC in Tacoma WA. The 17’ length makes it great for touring or day tripping. The sleek stable profile also drag and enhances directional stability. It features two dry hatches, rigid bulkheads, adjustable Yakima foot braces, plus hip and knee pads. NC says, "At seventeen feet, two inches long, and twenty-three inches wide the NC17 is our most popular model. A very capable kayak, the NC17 is a proven long-distance touring kayak. It tracks well but can be turned in just a few strokes when edged, is very responsive, and has a playful feel to it. The NC17 has a load capacity of three hundred fifty pounds."

Full disclosure -- this boat was made in 2007! But we baby our boats. It's never been paddled over rocks or beached on gravel; it's always been stored indoors. The boat looks (and works) like it was new -- you'd have to see the National Park stickers to know its age.

Novus designs the upswept Greenland-style bow to ride high and stay dry; the lower stem at the back allows them to skip the complexity of a rudder. We’ve found the boat tracks straight with minimal steering even in quartering crosswinds and big waves.

We've toured and camped with this boat on Yellowstone Lake, Jackson Lake, Lake Powell, and open waters off Oregon; the boat seems to laugh at wind and waves. So it’s ideal for Utah's big reservoirs and flatwater rivers, on either one-day or multi-day outings.

Includes a breakdown (2-piece) paddle, neoprene touring skirt, pump, and paddle float

See the Novus website ((https://nckayaks.com/about/models/) for more details -- and the price when new.

We moved to a smaller home and need to downsize our small flotilla of watercraft, so are pricing this to sell.

This boat is one of a pair. See its 19ft big brother in our separate listing.