Petrel by Bold Coast Boats

Our customers have been building and paddling Nick Schade’s Petrel series of sea kayaks designs from our kits for 20 years. Until now, if you wanted one of these thoroughbred kayaks, you had to build it yourself. Now you can save yourself several hundred hours of labor and have Bold Coast Boats build a lightweight and strong composite version for you. Built under the supervision of designer Nick Schade and longtime CLC colleague John Staub, these boats are built to maximize the performance potential of these proven designs. The BCB Petrels are built to be used and abused in ways you might avoid with a wooden kayak you built yourself! Built with all of the intricate attention to detail that Nick and John have acquired from a lifetime of building wooden boats, you will be as proud to own one of these kayaks—and to paddle it—as if you had built it yourself.

Early sailors believed the Storm Petrel could walk on water. Named after Saint Peter, petrels are small sea birds that feed by fluttering above the swell with their feet. Like its namesake, the Petrel kayak is at home in the sea, dancing among the waves.

Designed for day trips in rough water, the Petrel is also suitable for exploring estuaries and coves. It can carry a large paddler through rough conditions but is small enough for petite kayakers. Inspired by Inuit kayaking, the Petrel appeals to devoted Greenland-style paddlers without intimidating novices.

Dance on the Water

The “transitioning” chine varies from rounded forward to hard aft, providing smooth performance and reducing broaching while surfing. The hard chine aft facilitates carving and edged turns.

The deck shape takes inspiration from Greenlandic Inuit skin-on-frame designs with sharp chine-like features on either side. These provides knee room while keeping the deck low. The sides slope quickly to avoid close-to-the-hull strokes.

Developed for a 200-pound, 6+ foot paddler, the Petrel is still a great fit for smaller paddlers. It’s a day-tripping boat for larger paddlers but with careful packing does well for extended trips. There's plenty of interior volume for standard paddling gear.

The Petrel is for:

Day trips and "long weekend" camping

Paddling in conditions:
Sheltered ponds & harbors
Open water lakes and bays
Rock gardens
Tide races
Surfing

Paddlers 130 lbs to 240 lbs
Shoe sizes under size 12
Inseam length 34” or less

Particulars:

Length: 17 feet
Width: 20 inches
Capacity: 250+ lbs
Boat Weight: 35 to 50 lbs depending on layup
Waterline Length: 15 feet
Waterline Width: 19.9 inches
Wetted Surface Area: 20.20 Sq Ft
Total Surface Area: 45 Sq Ft
Total Volume: 11 Cu Ft
Prismatic Coefficient: 0.55

Included:

Front Hatch
Day Hatch
Rear Hatch
Custom Bulkhead Location
Standard Deck Lines
Retractable Skeg
Recessed Compass

Recommendations:

Okay for Beginners
Very Good for Small Paddlers
Very Good for Average Size Paddlers
Not Good for Large Paddlers
Okay for Extended Touring
Okay for Fishing
Very Good for Lakes and Bays
Very Good for Open Water
Okay for Racing in Sea Kayak Class
Very Good for Surfing

Available Layups:

Ultra Performance: Super Lightweight and Strong
Expeditions: Lightweight, and Super Strong
Custom: Built to suit your needs.

Available Options:

Whiskey Hatch
Keel Strip
Rough Water Deck Lines
Custom Graphics
Custom Layup

To learn more about the Composite Petrel or to place an order, please visit the Bold Coast Boats website.

To schedule a demo paddle, visit the CLC showroom or email for an appointment.