Ravenswood 15 skin-on-frame kayak . . . . . $975
This boat is built to last by Tidewater Small Craft, a boat shop in Williamsburg (www.tidewatersmallcraft.com), and designed by Jeff at Kudzucraft. The frame is marine fir and cedar, covered with 12 oz ballistic nylon for a tough exterior. The boat was then coated with a 2-part urethane finish which saturates the skin and makes the skin VERY durable. Last of all, a one-part polyurethane top coat in yellow and flat white gives the boat some good looks.
Weighing in at 34 lbs, you can pick it up at the end of the day and put it on your car without a lift or a friend. And for a 15 foot boat, it moves out and cruises. It placed second in the Recreational Kayak division of the 2011 round-Jamestown Island race, second only to another TSC boat, the Arrow 14. Over 10 miles, the boat averaged 4.5 mph, quite good for a moderate-length boat!
HYDROSTATS
All figures based on a 250 lb total displacement
Length over all * 15 foot 6 inches * Beam overall * 24 inches
Design draft 4.5 inches at 250 lbs
Waterline length 14 feet 2.5 inches"; * Waterline beam 21.5 inches";
Prismatic coefficient 0.5486 * Stability Factor 95
Max displacement 325 lbs