Osprey 13:
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. 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.
Osprey 13' Specs:
Length……. 13'
Beam…….. 22”
Height……. 10.5”
Weight…... 26 lbs
Cockpit..… 14.5"x29"
*Initial stability……8.9
Carrying capacity (vol.cu.ft)……8.30
**Efficient Cruising Wetted Surface in sq. ft……16.66
Loaded waterline length……12.5
***Top cruising speed……4.92 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
Osprey 13' Features:
Hull type… Multi-chine
Deck type…Pygmy multi-chine deck
Best used for… Folks up to 5'3" and under
Paddler experience level… Beginner to Advanced
Shoe size….Up to men’s size 8 (depending on shoe and personal comfort)
Cockpit size…14.5”x29"
Inside your Pygmy kit:
- Precision pre-cut BS-1088 Okoume plywood panels (all 4mm)
- Cockpit coamings
- 1.5 gallons Epoxy*
- 27 feet of 6 oz fiberglass cloth
- Fiberglass tape
- Wire
- Squeegee
- Dental syringes
- Vinyl gloves
- Wood flour
- Calibrated Pumps
- Stirring sticks
- Steel push pins
- Temporary frames
- 2-part seat
- Keeper's® footbraces
- Illustrated construction manual
* 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.