The Corcl: A Very Different Type of Boat
Add Corcl to the list of your favorite self-propelled craft like kayaks, canoes, and SUPs.
Pop Quiz: What’s shaped like a flying saucer, has roots in South East Asia, was prototyped with technology ranging from foam pool noodles to CAD design, and looks like something the Jolly Green Giant would eat Ramen noodles from? Why, the Corcl, of course!
We used to say that all boats have a pointy end, called the bow. The Corcl just changed that.
Self-propelled watercraft have seen a major-league rebound in popularity lately, and barely a year ago we took a close look at some of your options (and the plusses and minuses of each) in the award-winning article Simple Boating: Which is More Fun, Kayak or SUP?
It’s too bad the Corcl wasn’t around at that point. But way back then in 2014 the Corcl’s inventors were still in Asia discovering traditional “basket boats,” which were constructed from woven bamboo and made watertight with a mixture of cow dung and tree sap. That’s what gave them the idea for the Corcl, and if author Carol Cronin had been on one before writing Simple Boating, it’s a sure bet that the Corcl would have been included in that article.
I got my first Corcl ride just a few weeks ago, and it is hands down one of the most entertaining forms of sheer unadulterated fun you can have with a paddle, some water, and a few good friends. Just take a look at this short video we shot during our “sea trial” and you’ll see exactly what I mean.
This waterborne saucer is 51.5” in diameter, weighs in at 31 pounds, and has a maximum capacity of 275 pounds. Being completely round, it may well be the first “boat” we’ve ever reviewed that has an identical LOA and beam. It may also be the first that drafts a mere inch at rest. How much it drafts when you’re aboard depends entirely upon how much you weigh. And it is most certainly the first boat we’ve ever reviewed which has no bow, no stern, no starboard, and no port. Or, maybe it’s all bow, all stern, all starboard, and all port.
Net result? You can paddle it in any direction, spin in circles, and change course in a heartbeat. You can propel it to an eye-watering four MPH top-end with a kayak-style paddle, or you can use a single blade SUP-style paddle with a figure-eight stroke. You can paddle a Corcl standing up, sitting down, or kneeling. Polyethylene construction means these things are more or less indestructible and unsinkable, and are as inexpensive as a basic roto-molded sit-on-top kayak.
While at first glimpse the Corcl seems like a simple, rudimentary design, a lot of thought and experience has clearly gone into its development. They’ve put a thick EVA foam pad on the deck, which kept my knees comfortable while kneeling. This isn’t a single-skin saucer, but an actual hull and deck with air in-between. Molded-in handles make it easy to carry, and there’s even a mounting system that can accommodate cup holders, lights, a safety flag, and a paddle holder. Earth to Corcl: you folks need to add a fishing rod holder, too.
The Corcl will never replace your “real” boat. It’ll never rank as a dream yacht, and it’s not exactly going to impress your friends and dock-neighbors. What it will do is get you and your kids fun—gobs of cheap fun—out on the water.
Other Choices: Get a truckload of bamboo, gather some cow dung and tree sap, and start weaving.
For more information, visit Corcl.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Length | 51.5" |
| Beam | 51.5" |
| Draft (hull) | 1" |
| Deadrise | NA |
| Displacement | 31 lbs |
| Fuel capacity | 1 PP (people power) |
| Water capacity | Yes, but your butt will get wet |
