Old Town Castine 135

Size and Weight

Measuring 13’5” (4.1 m), the Old Town Castine 135 is comfortable in its role as a touring kayak. This length provides much of the tracking ability you’d expect from a day touring boat without sacrificing too much of maneuverability or portability.

At 23” (58.4 cm), the Castine 135 is a pretty narrow boat that may need some skills to use. The narrow hull, however, translates into speed on the water. A deck height of 14” (35.6 cm) offers enough space for taller paddlers and for folks with larger feet.

As far as weight goes, the Castine 135 tips the scales at 50 lbs (22.7 kg). While it might seem somewhat heavy, it’s actually just about average for a boat this size. For comparison, the slightly larger Perception Carolina 14 is only a little heavier at 53 lbs (24 kg).

Capacity

Boasting a weight capacity of 300 lbs (136 kg), the Old Town Castine 135 is perfect for those sunrise to sunset days on the water. While this isn’t an exceptional amount of weight capacity, the boat is strong enough to support most paddlers and the gear they’d bring along for the day.

Keep in mind that it’s best not to load a kayak beyond 80% of its maximum weight. Thus, the Castine 135 is ideal for kayakers who weigh up to 240 lbs (108.9 kg) together with their gear.

Features

The Castine 135 was designed for comfort on the water, so Old Town didn’t cut corners when it comes to features.

This boat boasts the company’s proprietary Active Comfort System 2.0 (ACS2) Seat, which combines the best in aesthetics with everything you expect from a comfort-centric boat. The ACS2 seat is fully adjustable, boasts ample ventilation, and has plenty of padding both under the thighs and around the lower back for a better paddling experience.

Moreover, the Castine 135 is built with two large bulkheads – one at the bow and one at the stern – for safety and gear storage. Each is covered with a Quick Seal Hatch that has Cross Lock technology to prevent water from flooding the dry compartments as you paddle.

Another cool feature in the Castine 135 is its built-in Slide Track Day Storage system, which provides a convenient place to store your important gear. The boat even comes with a phone cradle for propping up your cell phone, as well as plenty of deck rigging and bungees for securing other bits of equipment.

Performance

Thanks to its 13’5” (4.1m) length, the Castine 135 naturally tracks well in the water. It also has a V-shaped hull with hard chines, particularly toward the bow and the stern. Toward the middle of the kayak, however, the hull rounds off quite a bit.

What this all means is that the Castine 135 provides a decent mix of primary and secondary stability. While the V-shaped hull, especially at the bow, allows for better tracking through the water, the boat’s rounded center provides increased maneuverability.

One thing missing from the Castine 135 is a rudder, which negatively impacts the boat’s tracking abilities in a crosswind. Although the Castine 135 is “rudder ready,” kayakers do have to buy the rudder separately which is an additional cost that’s not included in the price of the boat.