The New Ronan is a direct inspiration from our recently released Selkie design. When we came out with the Selkie we knew her sweeping lines would draw admiring stares, and we predicted petite paddlers would love that they finally had a boat
designed specifically for them. What we didn’t anticipate were the many paddlers who would stare enviously at this low-volume beauty before trying to cram their long legs and large feet into her snug fitting front deck. For these paddlers we’ve created the Ronan, a slightly larger version of the Selkie.
Playful and Lightweight: The Ronan is a more spacious version of the Selkie, which is a lightweight, hard-chined marriage of two of our most popular boats (the Arctic Tern 14 and the Murrelet). While 3” longer than the Arctic Tern 14, the underwater hull is identical, giving it the same efficiency in cruising due to low wetted surface area. Like the Selkie, the Ronan features a low sheer line with cutaway side deck panels that allow more body rotation and a more efficient use of a Greenland paddle. The major difference between it and the Selkie is its higher hull sheer height and larger cockpit, which allow larger paddlers the space needed for ease of entry and exit. The Ronan’s front cockpit height is 11.5” while the Selkie is 9.75”. The rear cockpit height on the Ronan comes in at 7.25” while the Selkie sits at 6.21”. Its dramatically low rear cockpit height makes layback rolls effortless. This kayak is designed for playful paddling in rough water. Experienced paddlers will love this low volume beauty in dynamic water, surf or as a lightweight day paddler.
True to Name: Selkies are mythological creatures in Irish and Scottish folklore said to live as seals in the sea but shed their skin to become human on land. Ronan is an Irish language male given name meaning “little seal”, so it seemed an appropriate name for the Selkie’s big brother.
To check out customer Kent Cline's detailed blog of building a Ronan Kayak, click here.
Ronan Specs: Length……14’3" Beam…… 23” Height at Front of Cockpit……11.5”
Height at Rear of Cockpit.....7.25”
Knee Height... 8.75"
Weight….. 32 lb Cockpit…. 17” x 33” *Initial stability……9.0" Carrying capacity (vol.cu.ft)……9.30 **Efficient Cruising Wetted Surface in sq. ft.……17.00 Loaded waterline length……12.50' ***Top cruising speed……4.90 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
Ronan 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 Paddler experience level… Intermediate/Advanced Shoe size….Up to men’s 11 (This depends heavily on ankle flexibility 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.