Paul -- I built a Merganser (17W; 17' x 23") from Shearwater last spring. The Merganser is a Greenland style boats, with hard chines. I built from plans, using locally purchased lauan, and epoxy/fiberglass from Raka. While I'm sure that a kit would have made things a little easier, building from plans was no problem. I'm 5-11 and about 280#, and it fits well. Eric at Shearwater is easy to talk to and helped me along the way. Whatever you go with, good luck and have fun. -- Greg

: I'm trying to decide on a S&G kayak kit and would like some advice.

: Vital statistics: 220 lbs., 5'11", 10D.

: Kayaking interests: mainly daytripping on lakes/ponds and rivers. Possibly
: poking around islands in Muscongus Bay (Maine) on calm days. More
: interested in exploring interesting places than travelling long distances.
: Somewhat intrigued by "Greenland" paddles and technique (purely
: an abstract interest, so far). Note that carrying a lot of camping gear is
: not a desideratum.

: My construction space limits me to a 17' length kayak, and even that is
: pushing things a bit.

: The kayak kits that I've been contemplating are: CLC: Chesapeake 17 or 17LT,
: West River 162 or 164.

: Pygmy: Arctic Tern 17, Queen Charlotte Std, GoldenEye Std or HI, Osprey Std.

: Current favorites: Chesapeake 17, WR 164, Arctic Tern 17.

: Any advice or suggestions would be very much welcome.

: ---Paul