Pygmy Boats Inc.: Arctic Tern sea kayak

The Arctic Tern
17' LOA * 23" BEAM * 12" DEPTH * 39 LBS.
The Arctic Tern High Volume
17' LOA * 23" BEAM * 13.5" DEPTH * 43 LBS.

Pygmy Boat designer, John Lockwood created a new sea kayak in 1998 with a graceful Greenland style hull. He named her the Arctic Tern in honor of the sleek, migratory birds which accompanied him on a 2-month solo wilderness paddle in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

A Top-Notch Design
The December, 1999 issue of Sea Kayaker Magazine did a thorough, ojective review of the Arctic Tern. The Editors selected three expert paddlers to put her to the test. One reviewer even took her out in 25 knot winds and 4' waves! Here are a few of their comments:

"I really loved this kayak. the hull design is top notch, it combines superb rough-water handling , good tracking and turning, and outstanding surfing ability for a touring kayak. A great choice for beginners interested in learning good technique and edge control" (KW).

"I really enjoyed my time with this boat, and I was loathe to give it back. It handles well and one could use it for day paddling, long trips, and even local racing" (HE).

A world innovator in computerized hull design, Lockwood carefully crafted this stitch-n-glue kit boat with versatility in mind. He gave the Arctic Tern a strong tracking keel. When you want to alter course quickly, lean over on her hard chines and cut fast, graceful turns. The sweet balance between tracking and turning in this hull results from Lockwood’s 13 years of CAD boat design expertise and 30 years of extended wilderness paddling.

The Arctic Tern lies firmly in the ancient Arctic kayak tradition--no tracking aids required. Slightly more symmetrical and narrower than Pygmy’s other hard-chine line—the Queen Charlottes--the Arctic Tern has a lower wetted surface area. Good initial stability and excellent secondary stability make her stable enough for beginners and exciting enough to entice highly skilled paddlers. Her ability to perform crisp, tight chine turns, coupled with high volume bow and stern, make her a good choice for those who like to paddle in rough water or surf zones.

Experienced paddlers have grown to appreciate the ease with which a traditional Greenland hull responds to a lean. Lockwood adapted the classic Greenland style to modern trends. The Arctic Tern’s elegant, multi-paneled deck gives new functionality to the hull form of her ancient predecessors. Her low deck amidships allows a steep and relaxed paddle approach. The Pygmy cambered deck is comfortable for small to large paddlers. Even those with up to size 12 (men’s) shoe find good foot room.
Her raked bow and stern combined with the beautiful sweeping curves of the multi-chined cambered deck make this one of the most attractive medium volume touring kayaks available. And who wants a boat good for touring only? Her 39 pounds make her a light delight on day trips or lunch hour workouts.

Lockwood took the Arctic Tern (without a rudder) on an extended inland sea tour to the Far North the summer of 1998, and again in the summer of 1999. Through glass calm dawns as well as in big winds blowing down out of the Arctic, she performed with flying colors.

The Arctic Tern High Volume is now available. This boat has identical handling characteristics to the Arctic Tern, sharing all the same dimensions plus an added 1.5" of height inside the hull. With this extra foot room, if your dogs are large, the Tern High will keep 'em from barkin'!

Full Kit Includes:
Tern Outline

Full Kit includes pre-cut panels of highest grade BS-1088 marine mahogany plywood, 2 1/2 gallons of System Three epoxy, measuring pumps, fully illustrated manual, the Epoxy Book, 38 feet of 38" wide fiberglass cloth (6 oz.), 34 yds. fiberglass tape plus small building supplies as listed under Prices. The Arctic Tern is also available as a "Basic Kit" in which you buy your own building supplies. Bulkhead and hatches, rudders, and all other Pygmy kayak accessories fit the Arctic Tern.

Create this rugged woodcore-glass-epoxy kayak in about 70 hours. Due to curing times, that effort is spread out over 3 to 8 weeks or so. She's laminated inside and out with fiberglass and epoxy for rugged use. See Stitch-n-Glue for a detailed description of the Pygmy construction process.