Rejoice You Small-Framed Folks!

By popular request, John Lockwood developed the Osprey 13.   Following the same evolutionary path the GoldenEye Standard took to create our popular Osprey Standard, the Osprey 13 borrowed our Golden Eye13's efficient and light hull.  To it we added our patented four panel deck. The Osprey 13 suits paddlers 5'3" and under. Short adults and teens, and kids down to 50" enjoy the feel of this kayak. It truly fits.  Depth at cockpit is 10 1/2". Because of this shallow depth and 22" beam, you can grip under the deck with your knees. Take low angled, relaxed paddling strokes and never hitch your shoulders to clear the deck.   Having a kayak light enough to walk down tricky trails and transport solo is crucial for independent paddling.

Fast Cruising
She's quick. At normal cruising speeds, a kayak with low wetted surface possesses a speed advantage over larger hulls. In the Osprey-13' you will be cutting capers around your friends in their big kayaks--greater friction slows them down relative to the 13'. Paddle right along side your partner, even though they may have more upper body strength. When paddling flat out, the shorter waterline length of the 13' gives over to the advantage of a longer waterline (a higher terminal hull speed). Most of the time though, you'll have the speed advantage, especially in this ultra-light kayak! John designed the Osprey-13' to turn well and track beautifully, even without a rudder. If you like rudders, just attach one on after you have built your hull.

The Osprey-13 is a great boat for pre-teens and younger children. It is bigger and more stable than the GE-10. For many children building a Osprey-13 and letting them grow into it is a good choice.

The Osprey-13' holds 60 pounds of gear, plus the paddler. Weekend touring is a snap. If you pack as efficiently as a backpacker, you can go out for a week. Folks wanting to do extended tours may prefer more volume. If that's the case, check out our  Osprey-Standard, and Arctic Tern. Their cockpits sit low at the elbow--allowing relaxed strokes for shorter folks.

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 a hardener. If you would like a copy of the Epoxy Book click here to download.

We also stock Silver Tip epoxy.  SilverTip Laminating Resin is a medium-low viscosity epoxy system that has been optimized for coating and reinforcing fabric saturation in wood-composite boatbuilding.  It has superior wet-out characteristics with little tendency to foam or trap air.  Both the resin and hardener are nearly colorless and are used in an easy 2:1 ratio.  The working time is longer than most boat building epoxies without sacrificing cure time.  We offer this an an option in our boat kits. NOTE:  This item can only ship UPS ground. Please plan accordingly.