S&G Kit - Pygmy Osprey Std?

I’m looking at building an Osprey Standard from Pygmy, and I’m hoping that those who have paddled one can confirm my descision or talk me out of it.



I’m currently paddling a 12 foot recreational kayak (OT Dirigo 120), and I want to biuld a real sea kayak with the capacity for trips up to a week. I will also use the boat very often for day trips. The reasons that I selected the Osprey Standard are: (i) seems like a relatively quick by but still manueverable boat, (ii) I like the larger cockpit and 24" beam because I fish from the kayak often (up to 50% of the time) and (iii) becuase I use my kayak on inland waters the majority of the time and I often have to car top, the 15’8" lenth is preferable to a 17-18’ boat. I prefer Pygmy’s construction method over CLC - particularly the deck construction and attachment, and CLC’s boats seem to have les volume, which is an issue if I fish from the kayak. If it helps, I’m a 5’10" male 160 lbs with six 10 feet.



Any thoughts on what I should be looking for in a sea kayak that can also be used for fishing (i.e., I’m not looking for a rec boat, so something like the Wood Duck won’t work). Any experiences with this particular model would be great as well.



Thanks for the input.

It should work well for you…
I’ve had three Pygmys and they were great. The std. is a very fast under 16’ boat because of it’s long waterline. I always wanted to race one in the shorter class but never got the chance. My Tern was great to fish from, I could sit in beam seas when no one else would…



GH

Nice boat
I’ve paddled an Osprey a couple times and think it’s a nice boat. When I was toying with the idea of building a S&G I called Pygmy and that was the model they recommended for me. I also prefer Pygmy to CLC build styles. Anyway, you might give Pygmy a call and get their opinion. Personally, I think you’ve got it right - I wound up building an SOF instead. Cheers,

Osprey
I just built a Coho this past spring and have used it over the summer. From your description of what you are looking for I think the Osprey would be a really good fit for you. I wouldn’t worry about the length as regards car-topping though: the 17’ boats aren’t all that much heavier (you are still going to end up with something lighter than kevlar). One caveat I would mention though is to be prepared to change the seat. Many people find the Therma-rest seat that is stock is inadequate. I think most of the “voting” is to buy the precarved minicell foam seat from Redfish.



A lot of the fun is in the building of the boat…until the day you hit the water and after that it’s a toss-up as to whether maybe the actual use is better! You’ll also find that the supplies are “just” adequate.



There are several blogs c/w photos on building S&G to be found at http://www.westcoastpaddler.com/building/index.php?cat=2

Build sequence
http://home.roadrunner.com/~wreinert/osprey.htm

I built one
I built a Pygmy Osprey Standard and a CLC Patuxent 17.5 the same year or so.



The Osprey is pretty fast and is a very hard-tracking boat for its overall length and volume. It has plenty of volume for tripping.



The Pygmy kits are well-thought out and the instructions are good. The people at Pygmy are quite helpful when you run into trouble or have questions. I agree that the amount of glass and epoxy provided is just enough to complete the kit, and if this is your first boat, don’t be suprised if you have to buy a little extra.



I also agree about changing the seat. I can’t say that I really tried the Thermarest pad seat, but it didn’t look comfortable. I wound up putting CLC “Creature Comfort” seats in both boats, which are very nice. I don’t know if these are still offered by CLC or not.



I actually prefer paddling the CLC Patuxent, but that is simply because I have I preference for a hard-chined hull. The Osprey does require a committed lean either to the inside or outside of the turn to come around quickly. It is definitely a strong-tracking hull. The cambered decks on Pygmy boats allow for easy forward strokes close to the boat without much risk of hitting the paddle shaft on the boat. The boat rolls reasonably easily after some decent thigh brace pads are installed.



If I were to build another Pygmy solo kayak, it would be the full-size Arctic Tern, but then again, that is because of my preference for the Greenland-style hulls.



If you have other specific questions send me an email.

Thanks
Thanks to all who’ve responded so far. It sounds like I’m probably heading in the right direction, and I’ll be sure to look into a Redfish seat. I’ve seen a lot of positive reviews for the Arcic Tern and similar hard chine boats, but I’m leaning toward the multi-chine based on an understanding that they are a bit more forgiving in the stability department. It’s not that I’m overly concerned about the stability, but unintentional rolls with a fishing rod in my hand and the paddle down would be a real problem. Any thoughts on the stability of the Osprey with that in mind?



Thanks Again!

My concern on the Osprey would not
be stability. I was going to build an Osprey, but decided on an Arctic Tern 14 because of its greater maneuverability and better fit for my 5’6" body. Mainly, I got feedback that the Osprey was more of a challenge to turn (I have never paddled an Osprey) and that a rudder would help. I do like the turning performance of the AT 14 - which is partly due to the Greenland hard chine design.



While I have a flush Scotty mount on the Tern for fishing, I have not fished from it - perferring a dedicated fishing SOT for that. I know I am not at a skill level to feel consistently safe casting broadside from the Tern, but perhaps some people do.



The ideal thing would be for you to try paddling the Osprey and any other options - and try casting with your rod when you test it.



I agree with everything said above about building a Pygmy boat - great support, very enjoyable and fulfilling with beautiful results, whatever you decide to build.

Size
It should be good for what you want to do. I’m your size, and would want something lower volume to paddle empty, but for carrying gear or as a fishing platform it should be fine. I’ve seen an Osprey Standard carry a big load and still perform well.