The Cape Lookout 145, which is no longer made, was my first kayak purchased new in 2002. My Lookout has been in just about every kind of water you can think of. I have made 5-6 trips kayak camping with the boat in North Carolina at Fontana Lake next to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. I got caught in a Thunderstorm near the ocean at the bay area of Pensacola Florida in 2004 and did a lot of praying while hugh waves slammed the back part of my boat as I struggled to get to shore. It held up tough in the storm! This boat is amazing!
I have never capsized in this boat, even with all I have been through. I even paddled this boat with some 17 foot touring kayaks/friends on a 27 mile trip down the Tennessee River.
I am very sad they stopped making it. I have kept up with the big boys in their 17 foot touring kayaks without any problem on EVERY trip I have been on. None of my friends with those larger boats ever questioned whether I could keep up with them because it was never an issue. It is a great cross between a touring boat and a day touring/recreation boat. It has a wonderful amount of room in the cockpit, is very stable, and again, has many of the features found on a full touring kayak (nice Phase 3 seat for example). While it is short on length, it makes up for it in width to store iems.
I just recently purchased a Cape Horn 170 (soon to be discontinued as well), and I can honestly say that the Cape Lookout would have served me just as well had I not purchased the Cape Horn. The only difference is a little more top bulkhead protection (straps and lid as opposed to rubber caps) and more storage space. The Lookout, if you can find one used, is what I would term a great “hybrid” “all around” boat between full touring and day touring/recreation. I even used it one time among canoe folks going down a very small river in a National Forest, a far cry from it’s original intention. I got some laughs from the canoe guys! Other than me being nervous about damaging the rudder by slamming the back of the boat with the rudder into a rock wall, it did fine! I highly recommend this boat, especially if your are new to kayaking, or want a “general all purpose” boat.