Van Dusen Mohican

21'2.5" x 17.5" — 6.46m x 44.45cm — with a 21ft waterline and a beam of 16.1" at the 4" waterline, in autoclave-cured carbon over core. A decked unlimited racing kayak with a self-bailing cockpit rather than an open ski, so the beam figure is not directly comparable to the open hulls beside it: you sit in this one. Under-hull rudder as standard, kick-up optional, tiller or pedal steering, and a 6" inspection port behind the seat.

Length: 6.46 m
Beam: 44.45 cm
Deck: 33.5 cm

Van Dusen Mohican — Outline drawn to scale from published length and deck height — Outline drawn to scale from published length and deck height · Surfski Index

Specifications

Length: 6.46 m
Beam: 44.45 cm
Deck height: 33.5 cm (est.)
Category: Surfski
Skill level: elite
New price: US$6,300

On-water profile

Stability

4.0

Speed

8.5

Both scores are rated at the hull's own design weight. How these are derived.

Rated from the published 44.45cm beam and 6.46m length against this index's own scale, not from a paddle test, and adjusted down slightly for stability because this is a decked hull with a higher seat than an open ski of the same beam. Van Dusen aims it at USCA unlimited marathon, multisport and surfski racing alike.

Suits: Marathon, multisport and open-water racing; the self-bailing cockpit is what makes it safe offshore.

Paddler weight

This hull is built around a paddler of about 92 kg. It stays workable from 81 kg to 97 kg, and sits at its best between 85 kg and 94 kg.

Derived from published hull dimensions and calibrated against manufacturer paddler limits, not taken from a marketing range. The method, in full.

Generations

2006-present

Ted Van Dusen has built racing boats as Composite Engineering in Westport, Massachusetts since the 1970s. The Mohican arrived in 2006, drawn to the USCA unlimited class rule, and is the only self-bailing hull in the range.

What works, and what it costs you

What works

Published price, from the builder, in writing
Autoclaved carbon construction
Legal in USCA unlimited class as well as surfski racing

Trade-offs

Decked hull: a swamped cockpit is a different problem from a ski's
No published weight
One small US builder, so no dealer network

What paddlers say

Reviewed by SurfskiRacing.org in 2012 alongside two Nelo Vintages. No owner quote is reproduced here because the review itself was not reachable when this record was written.Reported experience

Where to buy

No mapped dealer for Van Dusen yet. Every maker and market we cover.

US$6,300 base from Composite Engineering's own order page. Steering, rudder and seat options are quoted separately on the order form.