The success of the proven Chesapeake hull shape led quickly to demands for similar tandem and three-person designs. The Chesapeake Double and Triple are high-volume touring boats, with a 700lb payload that belies their surprising speed. Even though these are substantial boats for serious expeditions, they are also comfortable day-trippers for families or couples. Our Chesapeake Double offers the back-country paddler expedition-worthy storage and the speed to cover 35 miles in a day.

As in the other Chesapeake variants, the Double and Triple are built solidly, with epoxy and fiberglass on the inside, outside and deck of the 4mm okoume hull. For safety, watertight bulkheads are standard. The cockpits are deep and snug, with the standard Rapid Pulse backbands offering excellent lumbar support, while the cambered deck affords plenty of paddle clearance.

The Chesapeake Triple can accommodate three adults, but we have found over the years that most paddlers will use the center cockpit for children or pets, or for light gear stowage with a cockpit cover snapped in place. The Triple's ability to carry families with a couple of kids or dogs is a major attraction, but it's too big to paddle singlehanded without auxiliary power unless it's a glassy calm day.

Both the Double and Triple make terrific base hulls for the CLC SailRig, having the volume and waterline length for fast and efficient "beach cruising."

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

Read Canoe & Kayaks Magazine's series about building a Chesapeake Double:

Part I

Part II

Part III  

Build this boat if:

• You need a large, versatile, multi-paddler kayak for two or three paddlers
• You’d like to carry a pet along with two paddlers
• You need plenty of storage for camping
• You need a support vessel for kayak tours

Builders also looked at:

Chesapeake Double | Guillemot Double | Shearwater Double