Prijon - Yukon Expedition 
In my constant and ongoing search for the ultimate rock garden exploration
boat, I purchased a couple (for Vickie & I) of Yukon Expeditions from Aqua
Adventures November of last year. The boats are 14.5 feet long by 25 inches
wide, with 120 gallon volume. They have front and rear foam bulkheads with
hatches that are the common neoprene with a plastic implosion cover. The boats
are heavily rockered and look very much like an old-school WW kayak on steroids.
In fact, that is basically what they are because the boats are designed for
multi-day river expeditions, up to class 4 WW.
Outfitting:
I ordered the boats yellow and without rudders.
Deck netting was replaced with a mesh
deck bag made by Xtreamline. Similar bags are available from North Water.
I mounted the Pioneer Kayak Compass between the deck bag and the cockpit, as close to the bag as possible. Mounting in front of the deck bag is a problem because gear in the bag will block the view. Mounting far enough forward to solve that makes it difficult to read at night.
There is a standard under deck net which I left in place, but enhanced by tying it down (actually up) on the centerline with an under deck eyelet so it wouldn’t droop. Very handy for water bottles and pee bucket
I also ordered some WW bulkhead footraces to replace the excellent standard
braces. This was to facilitate putting a float bag between the foot braces and
the front bulkhead. It makes a big difference on a wet exit. I can re-enter and
roll, then paddle away safely without pumping.
Pump and sponge go under deck as well. I drilled small holes in the deck right in front of the cockpit and laced shock cord through. The sponge is held by shock core only. The pump rests on the bulkhead braces in front and is held by shock cord in the rear.
The hatch straps come standard with plastic loops perfect for adding shock
cord to hold a paddle. I used a loop on each side, with a carabineer to hold a
shock cord loop on the other side when in use. Unfortunately, this is not enough
for the type of paddling we do, so I added a couple of eyelets rear of the hatch
for more cord to hold the shafts of the spare paddle.
The seat back is terrible. I replaced them with a “Wicked bomber back band”
from NRS which works very well. The seat cushion is a throw away. I glued in
thick neoprene on top of the plastic seat. This also works well.
Fit:
The boats are huge. It’s kind of like sitting in a bathtub for me. For Vickie
it is too much. I’ve already gotten her a Neck Elaho to replace her Yukon and
will likely be selling her Yukon. She can handle the boat well when upright, but
has difficulty rolling it reliably because she sits so far down in it. I think
it relates more to torso length than weight, as she has no problem maneuvering
the boat
For me it is comfortable. The adjustable thigh braces feel like they might not be enough, but they are. I have yet to slip out of them. After many hours in the boat I do get some knee pain because my legs are spread so wide
Weather cocking:
I expect a boat to weather cock, but this is nasty – like every Prijon I have paddled. Surprisingly, it’s not an issue in heavy seas. I’ve had mine in 7-to-10 foot breaking seas with 25-to-35 knot winds and it handles like a dream. The worst case scenario is a strong cross wind with short fetch, like in a harbor. The combination of flat water and strong wind is almost unbearable. Luckily I didn’t buy this boat for paddling in harbors.
Maneuverability:
This where this boat really shines. It’s handling is truly a blend of WW kayak and sea kayak characteristics.
Stationary turns are excellent. With the huge rocker it can easily be spun without edging, but edging definitely improves the situation.
The combination of chines as per the Prijon “trihedral” hull and the huge rocker makes this boat respond very enthusiastically to edged turns – sea kayak style. If you prefer to do it WW style, lean into the turn. It doesn’t work quite as well as edging, but much better than any sea kayak I have ever paddled.
The combination of these characteristics makes this boat an ideal rock garden exploration tool. I can get into more spots than my friends, even in similar length boats, and I can get into many of the places where normally WW boats only dare to tread.
Speed:
This is no racing boat. I haven’t done careful testing, but I am estimate that a 3.0-to-3.5 knot cruise is reasonable for a fit paddler, with 4 knots when pushing it. To calibrate, paddling into the wind I seem to be able to keep up with longer sea kayaks without too big a problem, no wind requires a hard push to keep up, and down wind I just can’t keep up. So, the boat is decisively faster than a WW boat, which aids in covering ground when needed, but it is decisively slower than a 17 foot sea kayak.
Stability and stay-up-ability:
This boat has loose enough primary stability that edging is not a chore. The secondary stability is excellent. My capsize frequency in this boat is significantly lower than in my other boats that I play in.
When plowing through powerful hydraulics, this boat actually does. Some sea kayaks like my Sirocco submerge the whole bow and tend to slow down or stop, others like my WW boats will just stop (sometimes under water), but the Yukon plows through! Because of the shape it doesn’t like to submerge. I was amazed first few times I plowed through some difficult spots.
One such spot is the entry to the Big Pool on the PV coastline. A huge hydraulic often forms there with a 4-to-5 foot wall of water right at the last drop. First time in the Yukon I mentally prepared to hit that “wall”, but just coasted through.
If you want adrenaline pick a different boat, but if you want to get through, this one makes it easy. Since getting through is the whole purpose of rock garden exploration this boat is ideal for it.
Rolling and re-entry:
This boat rolls easily. The boat is shaped somewhat like a fat cigar, so there is not much resistance to getting back up. Shorter (see above) paddlers may have difficulty because of the high deck.
Re-entry and roll both with and without a paddle float is a snap. With the extra floatation I put ahead of the foot braces I can paddle away without pumping if needed.
Assisted re-entries require a little more muscle to get up to deck height. A find a standard paddle float re-entry to be labored in this boat because of the deck height as well. Cowboy / scramble? I’ve never been able to successfully complete one anyway, but in this boat I can’t even get on the back deck.
Touring:
This boat has enough volume for weeks on the water, but don’t do it, unless
your tour is on a river or in a rock garden. I bought this boat for rock garden
exploration, including multi-day rock garden trips. That’s what its good for.
For example: If I were planning a three day trip to Anacappa, including the
crossings, I would think long and hard before using this boat for the 11NM
crossing. When I do my next trip to the Todos Santos Islands, I won’t hesitate
to use this boat, including during the 3.5NM crossings. I might consider the
Anacappa crossing if I deployed a warp – a length of rope running out the stern
to keep the boat in line. It wouldn’t be needed on the way out, but the return
with rear quartering seas would be a chore without it.
Surfing:
This boat surfs well. When I first got it I was a little afraid of front enders. It seems like the bow will dig in. In fact it will, but has so much volume that it quickly pops to the surface. Just lean way back to get your stern rudder well behind the center and it will turn decently on a wave. Decently? Better than a sea kayak, but not as good as a WW kayak. Tired of reading that same line? Sorry.
Because of the hull cross section & secondary stability, the boat is very forgiving when side surfing. Maybe the best I have paddled. I can’t recall ever window-shading in this boat.
Back surfing is a blast. Something about this hull actually makes it seem more comfortable surfing backwards than forwards. I did see Vickie get back-endered by a plunging 8 foot wave at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, but I don’t think any boat would have punched through that.
Rock Garden play & exploration
For play your better off with a WW boat, but for exploration this is the boat. If you can’t have both, get this one. There isn’t much you can do in a WW boat that this one won’t due.
In my view it is the ultimate WW exploration boat with one possible exception (see below)
Whitewater:
Whitewater? Yes, whitewater. This boat was designed for multi-day river trips, including WW. We have paddled ours in class 2 water and they worked pretty well. Based on experience with powerful hydraulics when rock gardening, I wouldn’t hesitate to use them in bigger water, up to class 4. Obviously, you don’t want to try a 14.5 foot boat in tight situations on a river that require split second maneuvering to live. Don’t buy this boat as a WW boat unless you plan on river touring. Also, it’s nice to take on a vacation where you will need to paddle in various situations, including some WW.
How good is it in WW? Decent. Not as good as a WW boat, but don’t even think about it in a sea kayak.
Is it a keeper?
For Vickie? No. It’s just too big. She’s 5’3”. I don’t know how much bigger one would have to be to make it work. I’m just shy of 5’11” and its fine. Obviously, it depends on the ratio of torso-to-leg length as well. Just try it and see.
For me? For now, and Probably. It is absolutely the best rock garden exploration boat I have paddled so far. Is it the ultimate possible? I’ll let you know.
Recently we bought a Mariner Elan for Vickie and a Mariner Express for me. If these boats work well, we might buy a Mariner Coasters with HD lay-up in a year or so for rock garden exploration. The people that use these swear by them, and the hull design looks favorable for longer crossings. We’ll see how it goes, but even if I do that it’s important to note that you can buy about 3 of these Yukon’s for the price of a single Coaster. Also, because of the hull design, I wouldn’t want to try the Coaster in WW. In any event, I doubt I’ll ever let go of my Yukon unless garage space forces it.