Pilgrim Expedition - A First Impressions Review by Kevin Stephens

I had the chance to Demo a Pilgrim Expedition today in F4/5 winds and in a tiderace.

I think the Isel is a brilliant sea worthy boat which has taken me from beginner to 4*+. The Isel has hard chines so the edging could be described as on/off between primary and secondary stability when the seam drops to the waterline, this is fine for turning but gets rather tippy if you try to edge beyond the secondary stability. The Isel is fast.

My reasons for demoing PEX were to try its softer chines with ability to modulate the edge and when required edge further than the Isel, particularly as I’m getting into more advanced conditions. The other attraction of the PEX is its much greater carrying capacity for multi day trips.

I really enjoyed the demo. I needed to put a little weight in the front hatch to prevent lea cocking, but not as much as in the Isel (i’m 70kg). I felt i had to rely a little more on paddle input in lumpy water due to narrower hull and soft chines but I expect I will soon get used to it and the feel of when to engage knees and when to relax and let the boat move around me. Despite having very short legs I was surprised how small the cockpit rim felt; getting legs in and out was noticeably more awkward than I’m used to, eg when landing in surf. Hopefully this can be resolved my moving the seat back a bit, albeit with needing more weight in the front hatch.

Paddling into strong wind and against strong tide felt at least as efficient as the Isel.

Rolling was very easy, surprisingly reentry and roll was less easy than I’m used to, this felt like the lack of the Isel’s fixed secondary stability but maybe I was distracted by getting into the smaller cockpit and I’m sure some practice will sort it.

In short on first paddle the PEX felt a little more demanding than the Isel but it will provide me greater opportunity to improve, and enjoy camping too.

I’m still deciding. I’m so used to the Isel’s handling and secondary stability which is reassuring in conditions and the exceptional ease of getting in/out in a hurry when needed. On the other hand once I get over a learning curve I would hope the PEX can allow me to further develop my skills, and its better for multi day trips.

Kevin Stephens