Arctic Tern 17 Kit

I purchased my Arctic Tern 17 kit roughly 20 years ago while living in Florida and spent many hours in it paddling the Intracoastal Waterway. I have taken in on an 8 day/150 mile float down the Upper Missouri River in Montana and found it to be the perfect match for me, carrying all supplies and even 10 gallons of water with no upset to the handling or stability. Hatches and bulkheads really enhance the design and make for a very functional boat design. I have two other kayaks, but this is the one I will take on my next extended float trip.
The hard chines make it a quick turning boat, even though tracks very well and paddles easily when not leaned into a turn. The boat is perfectly stiff and durable, probably much stronger than fiberglass alone, due to sandwiching of the plywood between fiberglass and epoxy. Clear varnish adds the perfect finish and is easily renewed. I have dragged the hull over gravel with only surface scratches. Any deeper gouges can easily be repaired with a smear of epoxy and a coat of varnish. Building requires no experience, just patience and care. The hull pulled together perfectly straight due to the precisely cut pieces. I love this boat and have often thought of building another model, since the process of building was so satisfying.

Funny story how I got into building a couple of Pygmy kayaks. Friend asked if I wanted to go for a ride one day to Port Townsend. Well sure i said. Now i am a custom home builder who likes projects Always something going on. "So what are we going to Port Townsend for?" I ask. He said I am going to build a wood kayak. So I went along for the ride. Got to Port Townsend by the time we left the store yep I bought two Artic Tern kits. Never paddled in my life. Needless to say I could probably build half a house in the time I had in building these boats, but was extremely fun building and simple construction. Took me couple months to build both. Don't use as much as I should but as many people say, I am in the Pygmy family now. Was a good experience building and they are beautiful kayaks. Anyone interested should build one; worth the time.

I built my Arctic Tern in 2005 so it's 6 years now. Previously I had built an Osprey Triple (also reviewed on this site) with minimal woodworking experience and excellent phone support from Pygmy so with that experience under my belt it was even more fun the second time around. 6 years ago I would consider myself a beginner level paddler - now I would say pretty good intermediate skills.

This is a beautiful boat and will be a conversation piece wherever you go. It's very light and easy to cartop. It came in right at 39 pounds and after adding a skeg it is 43 pounds. It rolls easily and turns very sharply when on edge. Initial stability is more than adequate for a beginner and with experience you will not be wishing for another boat and I have paddled quite a few now. Unless you are into competitive racing it is plenty fast.

Last year I did an 8 day solo trip in the Everglades / 10 Thousand Island area of South Florida and had plenty of storage room. With good planning and packing I'm guessing you have enough storage for a 2-3 week unsupported trip. Speed was good and it was easy to paddle fully loaded - I'm 5'11" and weigh 210# - probably had around 150# of water and gear.

Suggestions:
The stock seat is adequate but I replaced it with one I bought from Redfish Kayaks which I prefer. Paddle with it for a while first - it's no big deal to customize the seat. I got fancy and secured the hatches from underneath with a bungee system - it was very pretty with a nice clean look on the deck and fine for day trips, but if you really want watertight hatches use Pygmy's system with the straps on the deck. I ended up reverting to this. I added a skeg but if you're an experienced paddler you may prefer to go without. I would not add the rudder - developing basic paddling skills will turn you easier and faster. And if you're a first time builder with no fiberglassing experience get someone to help you when you glass the deck and hull if possible - if not don't let it get in your way. Add footbrace studs to avoid drilling holes in the side for footbraces. Add perimeter deck lines for safety and convenience. Add knee braces if you surf or roll. Pygmy sells these as accessories on their site.

The suggestions are nitpicking and customizing - this is a fantastic boat and an easy 10.

I built the AT17 in 2004. The pieces were expertly milled, the instructions clear (although relying on online sites documenting the process was helpful), and the resulting boat a pleasure to paddle. I've had hundreds of hours and many miles of paddling from glass-smooth protected lakes to Lake Erie small-craft advisory weather and the boat handled like a champ at all times. I like the tracking and the hard chine makes turning uneventful and accurate. It looks great.

I haven't gotten around to changing the backband and seat yet. Those included with the kit are reasonable alternatives but are primitive. It can carry a fair amount of gear and not feel sluggish in the water.

Overall, a strong, lightweight (~42lbs), good-looking and reliable boat. It tracks well, has reasonable glide and speed, and was a pleasure to build.

Ignore the number. I built it. It's my baby. Would you rate your baby anything other than 10 out of 10?

I just thought I'd add my thoughts for anyone considering building this boat, who might have doubts about their ability to do so. I'm the guy who got a D in middle school shop, never had the patience or fine motor skills for model building. But this seemed like a nice middle-age challenge. Still, I feared this boat would sit partially completed in my garage for years before I gave up on it. Well it didn't. I built it in about three months, probably putting about 120 hours into it, and loving every minute of the build. I made mistakes, but none that couldn't be corrected. The builders on kayakforum.co were always ready to give me advice and guidance every step of the way, God bless 'em. People who see it on my car are stunned by its beauty, and assume I'm a master woodworker, which amuses me to no end. It has many small imperfections, and as the builder I'm aware fo them all, but they are beautiful imperfections that make the boat my own. I have to say I've never felt so attached to a material possession before in my life.

Now for how it paddles. First, I'm not a master paddler. I've been paddling rec kayaks for about seven or eight years, mostly on lakes and slow rivers, and once a year I spend a few weeks at the ocean, paddling in calm conditions.

I'm 6 feet tall, about 195 pounds, with size 11-12 feet. Lots of room in this boat for someone my size. In fact I need to fit it out to make it fit me more securely.

It tracks like its on rails and I can't imagine ever needing a rudder. I've paddled it in stiff winds with no weathercocking, in chop and confused seas at the mouths of tidal rivers, and it handles beautifully. The hard chines allow me to lean hard and hold it on edge with no little threat of capsizing.

Other things I like about it: it is incredibly light 41 or 42 pounds. Extremely easy to cartop and to carry to the water. It is also incredibly sturdy. I feared a plywood and glass boat would be like a delicate piece of fine furniture that I was always worried about. No worries, this can handle a fair amount of abuse. Sure, like all boats, it will collect scratches on the hull over time, but it's still as beautiful as ever. And after a few years, a sanding and a new coat of varnish, it will look like a new boat again.

If you are thinking about building a Tern, don't hesitate. Do it. Building this boat and paddling this boat will be two of the most rewarding things you ever do.

I've had a 17 foot Arctic Tern for about 3 years now, bought it already put together. I find it very stable and a good boat to start paddling in. I would say that you need to carefully work on fitting it for yourself, even consider getting an after market foam seat and backband. The inflatable seat makes my legs fall asleep.

The Tern rides high in the water (ok, I have never paddled it loaded and I am not a giant) and bobs like a cork in intersecting waves. It goes straight like a dream and is reasonably fast. It turns with less than grace. Even leaned, a lot of muscle is needed to get this boat to turn.

I took it to a class on rolling and decided this is definitely NOT the boat to learn to roll in. I'd love to hear from from someone who has rolled these! On the other hand, it's so stable it won't be an issue for most people.

Your enjoyment of this boat will be determined by your size and shape, and where you paddle. The light weight makes it a joy to move and load, even onto my vehicle. And, it's strong like a brick wall! I left the end of my front rope dangling this weekend, ran over it, and BENT the roof rack without damaging the kayak. Wow. Glad it wasn't my fiberglass boat.

I cannot speak more highly of the design, performance, or beauty of this or any other pygmy kayak. Every single aspect of them is absolutely outstanding.

Here's the one thing-everything pygmy says about how long it will take and how easy it is, is.... more than stretched. I think I will spend that long just sanding, by the time I'm done with mine. I can't say I'm a decent woodworker, though, and I am doing just fine in building it, albeit by trial and error and cutting and sanding my mistakes.

But, I've paddled several others, and I absolutely, absolutely cannot say a bad word about anything about the boat itself.

I can say one thing that's related, though. You're shooting yourself in the foot to paddle, let alone build, such an incredible boat, and not have the paddle to go with it. I know, I know, it's hard to spend half as much on the paddle as the boat itself, but seriously, anybody paddling the equivalent quality boat in composites would insist on a carbon fiber paddle, and they didn't build their boat. If you must get wood, the lightest wood paddle that pygmy sells is pretty good, although still hindering such an awesome boat. I'd recommend a Kalliste, by Werner, to go with a pygmy.

I have recently completed this model and have found the experience to be very rewarding. Unlike any other kayak I have used, this one gives rewards of fine preformance and personal satisfaction knowing I made it.

The beauty of mahogany radiates through the fiberglass sheathing inside and out. With the added compass rose design or whatever you chose to individualize the kayak, it becomes a one-of-a-kind.

The medium volume packs well for week long trips and handles superbly in rough water. I use it primarily for camping, day touring and fishing on larger lakes and rivers. Lake Michigan's chop is fun to punch through with little water over the deck.

At 5'9", 175 lbs. with full load or not I can easily lean and brace with good stability. Straight line travel is a pleasure with little correction needed. It is not necessary to add a rudder although the option is available.

I my opinion you won't go wrong for the time and money spent.