Arctic Tern 14 Review, in Sea Kayaker Magazine Aug. 2002

"so light to lift. Every time I hefted it, I was thrilled by how easy it was to shoulder carry...This boat puts a solo carry within the ability of paddlers for whom it was previously not possible."(KC)

 

"The Tern 14 is a godsend for smaller boaters. Its shallow cockpit design, nimble handling and light weight are coupled with straight tracking and good speed." (KC)

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Arctic Tern 14:
Designer John Lockwood has done it again! In response to a growing number of folks who want versatility, he developed our Arctic Tern 14. The initial inspiration for her was to create a small play boat. The end result was much more. Her crisp hard chines make her very responsive to lean turns, an ideal characteristic for playing in the surf zone. Teens and smaller adults will relish in the fact that there is a touring boat just their size. A lower wetted surface makes keeping pace with larger boats a pleasure, not a chore. At thirty-two pounds and fourteen feet, she is extremely easy to car top.

 

Pygmy is leading the pack in innovation. A growing number of paddlers enjoy playing in rough seas. Almost unanimously, these folks want to lean way back to alter the trim of their boat. The deck on our latest boat has been cleverly modified to accommodate obstruction free lay back. A longer cockpit provides more clearance behind the back strap. Our unique recessed coaming takes the rim further out of the way. Nothing similar has appeared on a stitch and glue kayak.

 

In her sea trials, the Arctic Tern 14 performed wonderfully with a variety of conditions and paddlers. On a recent trip to Great Slave Lake, fourteen-year old Betsy, a family friend of John’s paddled the Arctic Tern 14. Along side, others paddled our new canoe, a 17-foot Arctic Tern and an Osprey Double. Betsy had no trouble carrying her personal gear and keeping pace with the pod of Pygmies. The Arctic Tern 14 also received high marks from play boaters. On several outings, hotshot paddlers have raved about the crisp handling and responsiveness in challenging sea conditions. The Arctic Tern 14 is ideal for paddlers 4’10" up to 6’ with shoe size up to 11.

 

 

Arctic Tern 14 Specs:
Length……14’
Beam…… 23”
Height……11”
Weight….. 32lbs
Cockpit…. 15.5”x33”
*Initial stability……7.0"
Carrying capacity (vol.cu.ft)……9.02
**Standard cruising speed……17.01
Loaded waterline length……12.50'
***Top cruising speed……4.91 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.
**Kayak cruising speed is proportional to the boat's wetted surface, which is the area of frictional drag of the water on the hull, 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

 

 

Arctic Tern 14 Features:
Hull type…Hard-chine
Deck type…Pygmy multi-chine cut away deck with patented rear cockpit recess
Best used for… Surf kayaking, Day touring, Light touring, Pettite paddlers
Paddler experience level… Intermediate/Advanced
Shoe size….Up to men’s 11 (depending on shoe and personal comfort)
Cockpit size…15.5”x33"

 

Inside your Pygmy kit:

 

We usually ship "Medium" hardener with our kits.  You may order "Slow" for hot climates or "Fast" for cold climates 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.  Note: Silver Tip Resin can only ship via Ground Service and is not eligible for shipments to Alaska