Petrel Scout SG

Nick Schade’s line of strip-planked Greenland-style sea kayaks are renowned for sophisticated performance on the water, beautiful lines, and sculptural hull details. But strip-planked boatbuilding is not for everyone. Novice woodworkers and weekend hobbyists may be reluctant to take on a time-consuming project like the original strip-planked Petrel kayak, however rewarding. Nick's solution is a series of Petrels that are built of marine plywood, stitch-and-glue style, with great pains taken to retain the strip-planked original's point-and-shoot handling.

The new 12-foot Petrel Scout SG is a brilliant recreational kayak, and at 12' x 26" [3.7m x 0.6m] it is compact and easy to handle. The Scout SG is built stitch-and-glue-style from CNC-cut marine plywood. With a 280-pound [130kg] capacity, the Scout SG is suitable for large adults, yet it is not too big for children. The standard sea-kayak-sized cockpit coaming can be fitted with a spray skirt for those venturing into rougher conditions.

This design can be built with flush wooden hatches or the watertight rubber hatches typical of production sea kayak designs. Drawings for either option are included.

The parts-count for the Petrel Scout SG is higher than something like the Wood Duck kayaks, making the Scout ideal for someone with a grasp of stitch-and-glue.

Designer's Notes:

One might expect that all the possible kayaks have been designed by now. We have long ones, short ones, fat ones, skinny ones, what more could we possibly need? I think we need the Petrel Scout.

Based on my very popular Petrel “Play” design, the Scout is the Play’s capable, adventurous little sister. Scout wants to go out and poke around the fun little coves, seek out the loons fishing at the entrance to the creek, sneak up on the turtles gathering on the floating log, or search for starfish along a rocky shore. If you are ready to explore, the Scout is excited to take you there. 

Scout is a 12’ long by 26” wide recreational kayak that is outfitted like a sea kayak. It makes for a fun, easy-to-handle boat for exploring sheltered waters in safety. The bulkheads and watertight hatches give it reserve buoyancy and dry storage, which provides a measure of safety that is not always found in recreational kayaks. The sea kayak-sized cockpit allows the option of using a spray skirt if you are paddling in waters where you may be surprised by larger waves from boat wakes or rapidly changing weather.

The pert bow and stern profile keeps the waterline as long as possible to maximize the speed potential of such a short boat. The vertical sides maximize the stability. The recessed coaming gives you good ergonomics and paddling geometry.

The Petrel Scout has bulkheads fore and aft, with the airtight rubber sea kayak hatches providing access to the bow and stern compartments. In the unlikely event you should capsize, the bulkheads limit the amount of water getting into the cockpit, and the airtight compartments at each end will keep the floating high enough to pump out. Keep dry clothing and gear in the bow and stern compartments. While no system is absolutely leak-proof, the rubber hatches are the most reliable solution for keeping water out of the sealed spaces.

The hull can carry over 300lbs [136kg], so it would be fun to pack gear for an overnight camping trip with either kids or adults using the kayak. The sea-kayak-sized cockpit allows kids and small adults to comfortably use the kayak without floating around as may happen in rec kayaks with a larger open cockpit. If larger adults don’t mind a conforming cockpit, the control it provides allows the Scout to be used as a very capable, responsive little play boat. While rock gardens and surf aren't this design's core purpose, I’ve taken the prototype out in very rough open water and active tide races, and it was a hoot. It handled the lumpy conditions ably.

If you are looking for a fun, compact recreational kayak with the safety features of a sea kayak, the Scout will get paddlers of all ages and abilities out on the water. The bulkheads and watertight compartments provide a level of added security if you paddle places where you may occasionally encounter rougher conditions. Maybe it’s the kayak you didn’t know you needed.

—Nick Schade

Do you fit in this kayak?  Study our kayak fit chart.