Nothing of the Arctic Hawk's™ legendary handling and striking looks is sacrificed in making it available as a kit. While the Arctic Hawk takes a little longer to build than our Chesapeake series, none of the techniques are any more challenging. With this kit comes a resource that puts the talents of Arctic Hawk™ designer and master boatbuilder Mark A. Rogers right in the shop with you. That resource is the Arctic Hawk's™ remarkable instruction book, an educational masterpiece. Follow the extravagantly illustrated book's straightforward instructions from start to finish, and you will have an Arctic Hawk of unique beauty, strength, and longevity. Construction is methodical, not difficult. Just follow each step-by-step page of instruction, photography, and drawings.

The Arctic Hawk™ is an 18-foot medium volume touring kayak, drawn by Mark Rogers following the traditional skin boat designs of West Greenland. Mr. Rogers, of Superior Kayaks, Inc., is a respected designer who in turn respects the traditional design wisdom embodied in skin boats. This high-performance kit is made of okoume mahogany plywood and manufactured and packaged by Chesapeake Light Craft to the highest standards.

Standard in the kit are flush hatches; seat, footbraces, and deckrigging; materials for a knee tube and clip-on skeg; and book-matched grain for an heirloom-quality varnished finish.

Based on a type used for thousands of years, the Arctic Hawk™ delivers all the seaworthiness, speed and maneuverability the native hunter relied on at sea. A shallow "v" hull and hard chines combine to produce superb tracking in a kayak that nevertheless turns effortlessly when heeled. A slightly fish-form hull has some fullness in the bow and stern for lift in heavy seas. The low-profile deck gives wind and waves little to work on.

The 22-inch beam provides good initial stability and the hard chine gives exceptional secondary stability. Novices will appreciate learning to paddle in a craft which responds and tracks as well as the Arctic Hawk™. The experienced paddler revels in its performance. It is the perfect boat for paddlers learning rolling techniques and Inuit paddling styles.