{"title":"Shearrwater Sport","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhich kayak for you? Will it be something sleek and edgy and challenging to paddle, or a beamy and benign day-cruiser? A cargo-hauler or a sprinter? Some paddlers have fleets of kayaks to suit all occasions. The rest of us should take a long look at the Shearwater Sport. Eric Schade has threaded the needle in designing a kayak that is a jack of all trades. Master of most.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s enough beam and stability to be welcoming to beginners. Helmeted experts showing off for the cameras enjoy the Shearwater Sport’s agility in the surf. There’s enough speed to keep up with any gaggle of touring kayaks. The 14'6\" length is more consonant with limited storage (and construction) spaces. Rugged scantlings and voluminous storage make this an ideal back-country expedition machine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuilders ready to sharpen planes and unsheathe their pull-saws can opt for the Shearwater Sport Hybrid, with a strip-planked deck.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA most interesting option is the Sectional, which unbolts at watertight bulkheads for transport inside a small hatchback car and for storage in an apartment, garage, or garden shed. If anything, the sectional is sturdier than the standard, with the same cockpit and storage, opening up delightful possibilities for small-footprint adventuring.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"sectional-shearwater-sport","title":"Sectional Shearwater Sport","description":"\u003cp\u003eA kayak divided into three, but a sum greater than the parts.  Spin loose five sturdy stainless bolts at the watertight bulkheads and the Shearwater Sectional packs down to fit in a hatchback car.  Or in your garage.  Or in your apartment.  Or in the hold of an Alaska-bound de Havilland DHC-3.  It weighs a few more pounds than the stock \u003ca href=\"\/products\/shearwater-sport\" title=\"Shearwater Sport\"\u003eShearwater Sport\u003c\/a\u003e but retains every quality that has made the Shearwater Sport a huge hit with paddlers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere's how it works: You build the boat full-length in the usual fashion, but add carefully-designed structural bulkheads at the joints. When nearly done with construction, out comes the saw. Steady now! Cut between the bulkheads to create three watertight pieces. (The cut lines are marked for you in the kits.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe're still experimenting with different cars, but so far the Shearwater Sectional will fit in most compact hatchbacks, though of course you can transport it fully assembled on conventional roof racks.  The obvious application is the paddler with a storage challenge---either an apartment or just limited space.  The possibilities are endless, and yes, we expect a few of them to double as bookshelves during the off-season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo you fit in this kayak? \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/compare-kayak-specifications\" title=\"Kayaks need to fit right---check your height, weight, and shoe size in this chart.\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eStudy our kayak fit chart.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chesapeake Light Craft","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50173988864293,"sku":"6387-8698","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0854\/4839\/2997\/files\/sectional-shearwater-sport_new-lead.jpg?v=1746535907"},{"product_id":"shearwater-sport","title":"Shearwater Sport","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eCLC Shearwater Sport\u003c\/strong\u003e offers the perfect combination of lightweight, sharp handling, effortless cruising speed, and an extra-large cockpit for comfort.  The shorter length means easier construction, storage, and cartopping.  It might be \u003cstrong\u003ethe one kayak\u003c\/strong\u003e that does almost everything well.  Watertight bulkheads and flush-mounted deck hatches are standard, which means that many builders go camping in their Shearwater Sports.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll kayak design is a compromise.  For speed, you want the kayak to be long and narrow.  For comfort, you want beam and a big cockpit.  For maneuverability and compactness, a short kayak is desirable.  Artful compromise is the mark of good design, and we feel that designer Eric Schade's Shearwater Sport is a great combination of kayak virtues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor years, kayak builders have been asking us for a kayak that slots in between the \u003cstrong\u003ehigh-performance Shearwater\u003c\/strong\u003e series and the beamy, \u003cstrong\u003ecomfortable Wood Duck\u003c\/strong\u003e series.  At our in-water demos, the experienced paddlers often made a beeline for the Shearwater 14, because it has the handling and the great looks of the West-Greenland-style kayaks, but its shorter length makes it more maneuverable and easier to use than the long, fast Shearwater 17.  The Shearwater 14, however, is a scaled-down 17, intended only for smaller-statured paddlers weighing less than 150 pounds. That left a lot of paddlers on the shore.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEric has brought his practiced eye and decades of paddling experience to bear on the problem.  Settling on a length of 14'6\", he added just enough beam (25\") to support paddlers over 200 lbs.  Refinement of the underbody, the bow, and the stern allowed him to retain the crisp handling that has sold almost 650 Shearwater kayaks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor paddlers with longer legs who want an easy entry and egress, Eric specified a 34\"-long cockpit.  Standard spray skirts still fit, and the Shearwater Sport is outfitted with all of the features expected in a high-performance kayak:  knee braces, hip braces, and a low aft deck for those who want to roll the boat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe compact Shearwater Sport gives up nothing in cruising speeds to its longer, narrower Shearwater sisters, though it won't be quite as fast in a sprint.  It's still more than fast enough to accelerate onto waves for surfing.  Indeed, many paddlers will build the Shearwater Sport just for surfing, while maintaining longer kayaks for distance work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe payload is ideal for a paddler of up to a 220-pounds plus their gear.  The reduced windage of the Shearwater family means  that small people can paddle the Shearwater Sport, too, so more than just one person in the family can enjoy this beautiful kayak.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Shearwater Sport's construction follows the proven stitch-and-glue process of the rest of the Shearwater family.  A dark sapele deck is standard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Shearwater Sport Hybrid substitutes a cedar stripped deck for the standard sapele plywood deck.  Somewhat more challenging to build, the Shearwater Sport Hybrid rewards the kit builder with a unique and beautiful design.  Builders are provided with a mixture of light, medium and dark cedar strips and may create their own strip pattern, or imitate the design in the instruction manual.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlans for the Shearwater Sport comprise a 33-foot by 3-foot roll of paper with full-sized patterns for every part in the boat.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo you fit in this kayak? \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/compare-kayak-specifications\" title=\"Kayaks need to fit right---check your height, weight, and shoe size in this chart.\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eStudy our kayak fit chart.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chesapeake Light Craft","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50173989224741,"sku":"8807-3616","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0854\/4839\/2997\/files\/shearwater-sport_new-lead.jpg?v=1746219122"},{"product_id":"shearwater-sport-hybrid","title":"Shearwater Sport Hybrid","description":"\u003cp\u003eYou can't have everything in one boat.  For speed, you want long-and-narrow.  For comfort, you want beam and a big cockpit.  For maneuverability and compactness, a short kayak is desirable.  Artful compromise is the mark of good design, and we feel that Eric Schade's Shearwater Sport is a great combination of kayak \u003cstrong\u003evirtues.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor years kayak builders have been asking us for a kayak that slots in between the\u003cstrong\u003e high-performance Shearwater\u003c\/strong\u003e series and the beamy, \u003cstrong\u003ecomfortable Wood Duck\u003c\/strong\u003e series.  At our in-water demos, the experienced paddlers often made a beeline for the Shearwater 14, because it has the \u003cstrong\u003ehandling and the great looks\u003c\/strong\u003e of the West Greenland-style kayaks, but its shorter length makes it more maneuverable and easier to use than the long, fast Shearwater 17.  The Shearwater 14, however, is a scaled-down 17, intended only for smaller-statured paddlers weighing less than 150 pounds. That left a lot of paddlers on the shore.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEric has brought his practiced eye and decades of paddling experience to bear on the problem.  Settling on a length of 14'6\", he added just enough beam (25\") to support paddlers over 200 lbs.  Refinement of the underbody, the bow, and the stern allowed him to retain the crisp handling that has sold almost 650 Shearwater kayaks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor paddlers with longer legs who want an easy entry and egress, Eric specified a 34-inch long cockpit.  Standard spray skirts still fit, and the Shearwater Sport is outfitted with all of the features expected in a high-performance kayak:  knee braces, hip braces, and a low aft deck for those who want to roll the boat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe compact Shearwater Sport gives up nothing in cruising speeds to its longer, narrower Shearwater sisters, though it won't be quite as fast in a sprint.  It's still more than fast enough to accelerate onto waves for surfing.  Indeed, \u003cstrong\u003emany paddlers will build the Shearwater Sport just for surfing\u003c\/strong\u003e, while maintaining longer kayaks for distance work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor less adventurous paddlers, the Shearwater Sport offers the perfect compromise of light weight, sharp West Greenland handling, effortless cruising speed, and an extra-large cockpit for comfort.  The shorter length means easier construction, storage, and cartopping.  It might just be \u003cstrong\u003ethe One Kayak that does almost everything well\u003c\/strong\u003e.  Watertight bulkheads and flush-mounted deck hatches are standard, so many builders will camp out of the boat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe payload is ideal for up to a 220-pound paddler plus gear.  The reduced windage of the Shearwater family means that small people can paddle the Shearwater Sport, too, so more than just one person in the family can enjoy this beautiful kayak.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Shearwater Sport's construction follows the proven stitch-and-glue process of the rest of the Shearwater family.  A dark Sapele deck is standard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Shearwater Sport Hybrid \u003cstrong\u003esubstitutes a cedar-stripped deck \u003c\/strong\u003efor the standard Sapele plywood deck.  Somewhat more challenging to build, the Shearwater Sport Hybrid rewards the kit builder with a unique and beautiful design.  Builders are \u003cstrong\u003eprovided with 50% Western Red and 50% Alaskan Yellow cedar strip\u003c\/strong\u003es.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlans for the Shearwater Sport comprise a 33-foot by 3-foot roll of paper with full-sized patterns for every part of the boat.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e Our strip-built and hybrid kits ship with 50% Western Red and 50% Alaskan Yellow cedar bead and cove strips. Photos on our website and printed materials may show patterns and accent strips with walnut or other materials. \u003ca title=\"Bead-and-cove strips are available in a variety of wood types.\" href=\"\/products\/bead-and-cove-strips\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/clcboats.com\/shop\/products\/boat-building-supplies-epoxy-fiberglass-plywood\/cedar-strips-without-bead-and-cove.html\u0026amp;source=gmail\u0026amp;ust=1717778025339000\u0026amp;usg=AOvVaw2CuQ3oy3pof6bKxiFw1KZn\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOptional walnut strips are available and can be shipped with kit orders\u003c\/a\u003e. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"related-content\"\u003eDo you fit in this kayak? \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/compare-kayak-specifications\" title=\"Kayaks need to fit right---check your height, weight, and shoe size in this chart.\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eStudy our kayak fit chart.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chesapeake Light Craft","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50173989290277,"sku":"4419-7619","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0854\/4839\/2997\/files\/shearwater-sport-hybrid_new-lead.jpg?v=1746217050"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0854\/4839\/2997\/collections\/shearwater-sport_new-lead.jpg?v=1777317692","url":"https:\/\/clcboats.com\/collections\/shearrwater-sport.oembed","provider":"Chesapeake Light Craft","version":"1.0","type":"link"}