A complex specification was drawn up for a line of boats that combined speed and handling with roomy cockpits and easy construction. For this very challenging design brief, Harris selected veteran paddler and kayak designer Eric Schade. "I had paddled Eric's Merganser design about five years ago and it had many of the qualities we wanted: a good-looking West Greenland-style hull with great tracking and steering." Harris wanted a distinctive and attractive deck design, however, and over the winter several prototypes were built testing different approaches. The final deck scheme is functional, elegant, easy to assemble, and unique.

Striking and innovative, the Shearwater's deck retains the gentle camber but the sheer panel of the hull is raked inward to reduce windage and increase paddle clearance. The sweeping sheerline complements the nicely balanced ends; there isn't an awkward hump or a bump anywhere. On the water, the Shearwater demonstrates excellent poise and responsiveness in a broad range of conditions, edging turns easily when leaned but tracking straight when pushed hard in surfing conditions. The relatively low profile means you'll spend less time on corrective strokes and more time covering ground.

Shearwater 17:
Length 17’ (5.18m)
Beam 22.25” (565 mm)
Cockpit 31” x 16-3/8” (787mm x 410 mm)
Max leg length 36” (914 mm)

Recommend paddler:

130 – 220 lb (58 – 99 kg)
5’ 8” – 6’ 3” (1.7 – 1.9 m)
Max shoe size 12

Kit comprises:
* Pre-cut wooden parts
* Epoxy
* Glass cloth
* Construction manual
* Set of plans
* Seat
* Back band
* Deck rigging
* Footbrace

Three week lead-time on this new kit.

Plans and manual for building the Shearwater 17

The plans provide full sized templates and there is sufficient information for the boat to be built from scratch.