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I purchased my Valley Argonaut used last year and previously paddled a Nigel Foster Legend without a skeg. I was looking for a boat with the same capacity, tight handling, and more user friendly in rough following seas. I could never relax in the Nigel Foster Legend.

I have found the Argonaut to be a very responsive but stable boat, with a great tolerance for rough water conditions. I am 6' 1" , 180 pounds with long legs and appreciate the if it and a very adequate leg room. When I relax my legs, I can comfortably rest my feet on the bulkhead and stretch out. The boat is stable enough to relax and not pay attention, and could work reasonably well as a platform for photography, with the use of the day hatch.
With regards to construction, this boat is a very solid fiberglass layup, with well crafted bulkheads, and extremely dry snug fitting Hatch covers which Valley constructs is amongst the finest available.

I can edge this boat nearly to its side, and it is a relatively easy kayak to roll. With regards to stability, I have used to this boat with a Pacific Action 1.1 m sail, and it has adequate stability to handle sailing for myself in winds up to 20-25 kts. You do not need a rudder to make a kayak sail work, as variation in depth of the skeg, and the use a paddle provide turning and stability. In light wins, this sail can be configured to reach (sail across the wind) very effectively.

I have heard complaints regarding the skeg on Valley kayaks, but have had no problems with mind, other than periodic jamming of debris which can occur on shore, and forces and need to check the skeg for function before venturing in rough water.

We took a family kayaking trip to Desolation sound, BC last summer and my teenage daughters all felt comfortable in the Argonaut, while I spent my paddling time in the more challenging Legend. I am looking forward to many future trips in this boat, as for me it is an excellent compromise between performance, stability, and load carrying capacity.

I have been using the Pacific Action 1.1 meter sail on my Valley Aquanaut (skeg w/o rudder) for several months and have been very pleased with design and functionality. I'm a lifelong sailor, and always frustrated in a kayak when I cannot use the wind.

The most interesting feature of this design of "V" sail is the sheet attached to the midline of the split via mast on either side. This does allow adjustable sail trim, and in light air does allow for relatively safe and fast reaching. I would never have thought possible the ability to reach in a kayak with limited or no feeling of capsizing. The boat appears to track well at this point-of-sail, and does not necessarily require the skeg down.

Installation does require drilling the holes in your boat, including two small brackets to hold the base of the mast, and in my case I placed to the cam cleats just in front of the cockpit which are very functional, and are useful for other applications than the sail sheet. A very nice feature of the rig is the bungee tensioning at the bow, allowing both masts and sail lowered and placed under deck bungees within seconds. The length of the mast fits in front of my cockpit with inches to spare, and for this reason I would think many conventional kayaks would probably not desire a greater sail area the 1.1 meter.

The only downside I have found in the rig is related to the tensioning device which connects the mast to a "deck roller" which allows the sail to be taken down and put up rapidly. This device has been somewhat difficult to tension, which allows the sail to become more slack than desired when sailing downwind.

This sailing system was designed in New Zealand, and was clearly set up by good Kiwi sailors. I would recommend it for anyone looking to add the dimension of sailing to their kayak, without interfering or altering the classic nature or structure of their boat.