: Keep in mind that I have yet to build a Greenland boat. That being said,
: having built a baidarka, I think they're excellent craft. Sturdy, tons of
: room for gear and all, and visually very interesting. They're very fast
: (low wetted surface, controlling for length/beam ratio), and never fail to
: start a discussion on a ferry or harbor parking lot.

: Disadvantages vs. Greenland boats - Aleut boats have a much higher parts
: count, and are correspondingly more difficult and time consuming to build.
: Also, I don't like the horizontal coaming - the high back makes rolling
: more difficult, and entry *MUCH* more difficult (wet exit and re-entry
: really isn't an option with my boat...). Much has been said of the
: handling benefits of a hard chine, particularly in rough water - I haven't
: paddled a greenland boat, but my Chesepeake IS hard-chined, and doesn't
: really provide that much of an advantage (that I can tell). Finally,
: though the bow and stern are fascinating details, I actually like the look
: of a Greenland boat in the water better than the baidarka - the Aleut
: craft has a straight sheer and deck ridge, and looks like a floating
: cigar. (With an interesting nose, though...) I love the swoop of the
: Greenland boats, particularly if not overdone.

: All in all, if you're planning on camping a lot, I'd lean towards the Aleut
: boat. Otherwise, the decision comes back to asthetics, and the issues I
: listed above.

: Good luck.

True Greenland and single Aleut kayaks are tippy - they evolved for putting food in the belly - not relaxed cruising for occasional paddlers.

Think carefully about your paddling needs and who will be using it. It is easy to fall in love with those narrow kayaks- I know from building five of them. If I had to do it over again my first or second boat would have been a wide cargo hauler. They are not necessarily any slower at normal speeds.

I've built several narrow kayaks and like them , however most of my paddling is done in fairly calm conditions and my next kayak will be a 27" wide kayak. This will have the advantage of me being able to introduce non-skilled friends to a stable kayak that will make their paddling experience a pleasure rather than a intimidating ordeal.