NorseBoat – The Swiss Army Knife of Boats

Welcome to NorseBoat

The Swiss Army Knife of Boats

Discover freedom on the water!

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Classic Lines,

Sparkling Performance

Handcrafted in Canada and shipped worldwide, NorseBoats are built for those who value classic aesthetics, performance, and unmatched versatility.

NorseBoats offer the best of sailing, rowing, motoring and camp-cruising in one beautifully balanced design, earning the reputation as the Swiss Army Knife of Boats.

NorseBoats are eminently trailerable and easy to launch, transport, and store — freeing you from marina costs and allowing access to hidden coves and shallow shorelines that larger boats can’t reach.

Whether you’re sailing on a windy afternoon, rowingacross calm waters, or motoring to your next destination, NorseBoats adapt effortlessly.

Built with premium materials and a shallow, stable hull, NorseBoats deliver impressive performance without complexity. For adventurers craving new horizons or sailors seeking relaxed explorations with their family, NorseBoat offers quality, freedom, and confidence.

Adventure starts where the road ends —and the water begins!

Our Saga

The NorseBoat story began in 2003, when founder Kevin Jeffrey set out to create a small boat that balanced beauty, performance, versatility and purpose.

The first NorseBoat 17.5 touched the water in the Florida Keys in early 2004, and immediately exceeded expectations in both sailing and rowing modes.

Our Boats

NorseBoats are hand-crafted sailing, rowing and solar electric power boats. They are fast, fun and easy to use under sail, oar or motor. Their versatility and innovative features have earned them the reputation of the Swiss army knife of boats!

NorseBoats can be be easily beached and trailered, fit in a standard garage, and be used as comfortable camp-cruisers. Whether you’re a large boat sailor moving down, a sea kayaker moving up, or simply love a classic daysailer, NorseBoats are a great choice.

Norseboat 17.5 Classic

Discover the freedom of our flagship, the NorseBoat 17.5 Classic. This beautifully crafted daysailer and camp-cruiser blends tradition, innovation, and adventure in one elegant package.

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Norseboat 17.5 viking

The new NorseBoat 17.5 Viking is a streamlined, more affordable version of our 17.5 Classic model, with a similar pedigree and level of performance.

Go ahead, release your inner Viking…

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Other Models

Norseboat 12.5 Classic

The NorseBoat 12.5 daysail/tender is a sailing and rowing boat that blends innovative NorseBoat concepts with a proven traditional hull shape known for speed and shallow draft.

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NorseBoat 21.5 Classic

The largest boat in our fleet, the NorseBoat 21.5 Classic is available in either Open Cockpit or Cabin styles. Our 21.5 has lovely Downeast lines, distinctly NorseBoat “Swiss army knife” features, and truly exhilarating performance.

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Norseboat Solar ELectric launch

The NorseBoat 17.5 and 21.5 Classic models can also be configured as a solar electric power launch which can also be rowed. They have the same classic lines and exceptional performance as our sailing and rowing models, but they use electric power instead of wind to move swiftly and silently through the water.

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norseboat versatility

Sailing

Smooth, effortless adventure sailing.

Rowing

Powerful, quiet rowing anytime.

Motoring

Reliable motoring when you need it.

Camping

Comfortable onboard camping made easy.

Trailering

Lightweight, launch anywhere freedom.

Beaching

Shallow hull for easy beach landings.

Owner’s Stories

“Our NorseBoat 17.5 has been our home for six weeks, and she has been superb. She has been out in big seas, clocked 7.8 knots downwind, is very dry – and we’ve put her through hell. Her rig is simple and robust, and she can be rowed at over 3 knots by one person.”
Kevin Oliver and Tony Lancashire, Arctic Mariner Expedition
“The simplicity of hauling up the mast is something I hadn’t anticipated. It is yet another piece of elegant and thoughtful engineering. Truly everywhere one looks on the boat one sees careful decisions that were made. And the boat is also just so pretty. In short I’m so impressed by what you have created”.
C. Gill, MA
“My NorseBoat 17.5 Classic continues to perform very well – no complaints whatsoever. She’s very easy to rig and sail single-handed. She can ghost along with very light winds, but on a beam reach with only 6-8kts of breeze her rigging begins to hum, which tells me she is ready to fly.”
J. Busby, TX
“..it is really fun to get your hands on something like the NorseBoat 17.5, a daysailer whose simplicity, performance, and traditional good looks add up to simple pleasure.”
Practical Sailor
“NorseBoats… sexy looking with a sweet sheerline and a shapely bow profile.”
Robert Perry, Naval Architect
“I had one. An absolutely lovely boat-perfect for beach cruising. I used to cruise the barrier islands from Dunedin to Tarpon Springs when I lived in Florida. I could launch it from a beach a mile from my house, have it rigged and sailing in less than 10 minutes.”
P. Connor, FL
“The NorseBoat 17.5 was designed for daysailing, non-clamping cruising, or raiding. There are two rowing stations, a furling jib that adds zest, and a pivoting centreboard. A 2.5 motor takes the boat at hull speed. There are numerous options, including a cockpit tent with easily towed ply panels to help form a bed at seat level. It is easily trailerable….a whole lot of fun.
P. Kastner, MA
“I have sailed for many years in boats large and small and have recently become enamoured with dinghy cruising. I bought a used Jersey Skiff to test the waters and look it on a 5-day cruise in Penobscot Bay. It was a peak experience, with days of 20+ winds and days of complete calm. Recently I switched to a NorseBoat 17.5, and I absolutely fell in love. It ticked all the boxes of what I longed for in a dinghy cruiser. First and foremost, it sails like a witch, with a deeper centerboard and more sail area for better upwind (and downwind) performance The boat is more stable, has a flat cockpit floor that makes a big difference in comfort, and a water ballast compartment that can be filled to ‘settle her down’. Storage is abundant and rigging is much easier as the carbon-fiber mast is incredibly lightweight and mounted on a tabernacle. It is easy to go from trailer to sailing in minutes. I want a boat that is optimized for adventure and I can’t imagine a better design than the Norseboat 17.5.”
M. Paigen, MA