Necky Manitou II Tandem Kayak - 2007 BCS

Meghan,
UV damage is going to be the biggest problem with leaving it outside. If it has to be left out, try covering it with something burly that will hold up to the elements, like machine felt or a heavy duty tarp. Otherwise, how do you feel about a paddling theme in your living room? I had a friend with a 15" Easky, and she wound up in a similar situation with a very small house. We ran two eye-hooks into the rafters of the ceiling and strung the boat up over the couch with some carabiners... granted this isn't the way to store a boat if you have ever read the instruction sheet that came with it... but the other option was to leave it outside and let the squirrels nest in it.
Just some food for thought, I hope it helps a little!

We have several boats, and we have paddled the Manitou II for about 3 years. It's a great near-shore boat (bays, estuaries, and calm-condition nearshore open water). It's definitely sea worthy up to 1.5-2.0 ft waves. After that, you should consider your conditions, the environment (Florida vs. Washington), and your skills. Spray skirts are problematic for cockpits of this size. IMHO, this boat REQUIRES a rudder, as it's almost unmanagable without one. Our toddler rides on the jump seat, and we explore the bays and near-shore areas. It is extremely stable. We use this boat as our family dive boat; Mom up front, Dad in back, 2-yr old in jump seat, and 4-yr old paddling his Flipper kayak on a safety line, paddle out to a dive spot, drop anchor, put up a dive flag and spend the entire day with the family skin diving. It's easy to get in and out of, and our two boys climb in and out without challenge. This is not an epic journey type boat, but is perfect for day trips in good weather. The rear hatch has plenty of storage for dive gear, and the jump seat stores tons of food and water. Overall, this has proven to be a stable, reliable boat for us to help our boys explore the ocean.

I am also looking for a rudder manual for this kayak. I bought it without the rudder and I want to install one now...having tracking problems at higher speeds. I am very handy and think I can do it on my own, but i need a manual! I will post one if I find it.

From what I've seen, A Manitou II is a Manitou II. Regardless of color. In this case, I think the Lime Green wasn't a good selling color, so they've probably dropped the color from the inventory and are dropping the price to unload it. If you don't mind lime green, it's a great price for a new Manitou II

Honestly it is pretty tricky and so much a hastle that most companies do not sell kits. I have seen people "hack" the kayak and rig one on but if you are not technical, be careful. You can check with Necky and see what they can do. Another option is find a local paddle shop and see if they can put one on. Ideally the thing to do is pay the extra and get one with it already installed as it is a pain and sometimes will cost more to install it later. That is not including the pain of possible poking holes in your perfectly good rudder-less boat.