Selkie

 

The Selkie:

The Selkie takes two of our most popular boats (The Arctic Tern 14 and the Murrelet) and marries them into one elegant, light weight boat that petite women, or those looking for a tight fitting play boat, will love. John Lockwood nailed his first static brace in its sea trials and found it extremely easy to roll with its dramatically low rear cockpit - it's even lower than the Murrelet (1.3" lower). Petite paddlers love the snug fit and lower volume deck for higher angle paddle strokes. We've had it at the coast and at Skookumchuck (see video above) for some fun surf sessions. Like the original Greenlandic sealskin kayaks the new Selkie is a hard-chined 14' x 22.5" boat designed for petite paddlers and for larger paddlers who want a low volume kayak to play in the surf. For larger paddlers who want a little more room for their feet, or a larger cockpit for ease of entry and exit, see also the Ronan.  

True to Her Name: Selkies are mythological creatures said to live as seals in the sea but shed their skin to become human on land. In the folklore of many cultures these shapeshifters are ever curious and charming creatures who enjoy playing in the surf and exploring the shore but must always to return to the sea.

 

Petite Women Rejoice: The Selkie has been specifically designed for petite women. It features a low sheer line with the Murrelet style, cutaway side deck panels that allow more body rotation and a more efficient use of a Greenland paddle. A number of small women have already expressed their joy at finally having a low volume boat that fits! Many have had a hard time finding a boat that's actually made for their smaller frames. Since her introduction she has been paddled by a continuous stream of women ranging from 4'9" to 5'4" who were absolutely thrilled that they finally had a boat designed specifically for them and that is lightweight enough for them to cartop.

 

To request a Pygmy catalog, click here.

 
VIDEO: Professional paddler Jaime Sharp surfs the Selkie at the legendary Skookumchuck standing wave:

 

 

 

 

 

Selkie Specs:
Length……14’
Beam…… 22.5”
Height at Front of Cockpit……9.75”

Height at Rear of Cockpit..... 6.21"

Knee Height... 7.5"
Weight….. 29 lbs
Cockpit…. 15.8”x33”
*Initial stability……9.0
Carrying capacity (vol.cu.ft)……7.90
**Efficient Cruising Wetted Surface in sq. ft.……17.00
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.
**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

 

 

Selkie 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 9.5-10 (This depends heavily on ankle flexibility and personal comfort. We have had white water paddlers up to shoe size 11.5 who have paddled this kayak in surf but they are well experienced in tight fitting kayaks.)
Cockpit size…15.8”x33"

 

Inside your Pygmy kit:

 

 

* 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.