*This is a closeout special. These kits are available only while inventory lasts. Update: We are now officially out of Version 1. The only kits left are Version 2 hulls.
"The Murrelet is a 'great kayak for Greenland-style rolling, and yet has some stowage advantages for long trips. I loved the light weight for car-topping and enjoyed paddling and showing off this wooden beauty. It’s stable enough for athletic beginners, and a playful, rough-water rolling machine for the experts” (GL).
First Kayak with 4 Decks:
This kayak is designed for Greenland rolls. The rear cockpit height of all four models has been lowered to allow advanced paddlers, who execute Greenland rolls, to lie back flat on the rear deck.
Sleek and Thin: The Murrelet series is our newest 17foot multi-chine hull made for those who like a high-performance kayak. At 22 inches wide she is thin and sleek, but retains very comfortable initial stability. She’s got Pygmy’s trademark tracking and handling. She executes leaned turns beautifully and is very well behaved in wind and waves. Though this kayak is designed with the Greenland roll in mind, this is a great performance touring kayak for intermediate kayakers or novices looking to expand their skillset. Pick this great hull and your choice of four decks.
The Murrelet SDC (swept down chine) has an 8.9" knee height and 8.8" rear cockpit height. She features our traditional deck with a swept down deck chine to lower her rear cockpit. It’s a tighter fitting deck than the other three Murrelet designs, with a lower knee, thigh, and foot height. She and the Murrelet 4PD will carry the most gear with a higher rear deck.
The Murrelet 1PD, 2PD, and 4PDall radically lower the rear cockpit to facilitate your favorite Greenland style roll, while the cockpit sweeps up in a stylish arch to allow a closer paddle stroke with more knee height and foot room. There are two cockpit options on these three boats: the standard 15.8"x33" cockpit has a snugger fit, while the 17"x33" cockpit handles wider hips and larger mid sections. The Murrelet 4PD’s four panel rear deck gives you more storage for touring and long distance adventure. She and the Murrelet SDC are the most comparable to our Arctic Tern 17 and Coho. The Murrelet SDC is a tighter fitting deck than the other three Murrelet designs, with a lower knee, thigh, and foot height. Her cockpit is similar to our Coho and Arctic Tern cockpits and has a higher rear cockpit height than the other three Murrelet models.
Murrelet SDC Specs: Length…… 17’ Beam……. 22” Height at Front of Cockpit…… 11”
Knee Height... 8.9"
Rear Cockpit Height... 8.8" Weight…… 36lbs Cockpit……17”x33” *Initial stability……10.5 Carrying capacity (vol.cu.ft)……12.00 **Efficient Cruising Wetted Surface in sq. ft……18.40 Loaded waterline length……14.9' ***Top cruising speed……5.36 mph Available as kit……yes Available as plans……no
*The transverse Metacenter, in inches, is a measure of a kayak's initial stability. A higher number is more stable. All single kayaks computed with same weight person.
**Efficient cruising is a function of low frictional drag and low wetted surface. Lower WS means faster (less effort) cruising speeds, here expressed in sq. ft. ***90% of theoretical hull speed (THS) in mph. A boat's theoretical hull speed is a function of square root of its loaded waterline length (LWL). at approximately 80% to 90% of its hull speed a kayak will start to produce a bow wake longer than its LWL and the effort required to continue acceleration rapidly increases
Murrelet SDC Features: Hull type… Multi-chine Deck type…SDC Deck: Our tradition deck design with a lower overall profile. Still enough space for touring, the SDC has the second most volume of our Murrelets, after the 4PD, while still being lower volume than the Coho or Osprey standard. This deck is designed to have medium to low overall volume. Great for a petite paddler who wants a full size boat who usually finds themselves lifting their hands to avoid hitting the deck. Paddler experience level… Intermediate/Advanced Shoe size….Up to men’s 12 (depending on shoe and personal comfort) Cockpit size…17”x33
* We usually ship "Medium" hardener with our kits (good for temperatures ranging from 55-75 degrees Fahrenheit). You may order "Slow" for hot climates (75-95 degrees Fahrenheit) or "Fast" for cold climates (35-55 degrees Fahrenheit) upon request. Read the System Three Epoxy Book to help select the appropriate epoxy and hardener for you. If you would like a copy of the Epoxy Book, click here to download. We also stock System Three’s Silver Tip Epoxy and offer this as an option in our boat kits for an additional charge. For Silvertip epoxy the slow hardener is good for temperatures warmer than 65 and the fast is best for temperatures cooler than 65. Note: Silver Tip Resin can only ship via Ground Service and is not eligible for shipments to Alaska.