: I am looking to build a new kayak for my wife and was considering a Merganser
: 16. Don't know much about the Cormorant. The intended use is for playing
: and day touring. She is 5.6 and about 125. What makes the Merganser and
: Cormorant special? We have a CD Caribou and a 17LT, how are they different
: from those boats?

I guess the first question would be how you would compare the Caribou and 17LT and what attributes you like of one over the other for your uses. I don't know about the Cormorant but the Merganser is more slippery than the 17, weighs less for a given deck strength (2-5lbs), the thigh bracing and deck configuration is better suited to paddling and bracing, ingress/egress are better for a given amount of foot room as the foredeck is peaked without an intruding deck beam, the Merganser would have less windage, it's easier for a beginning builder to build a fair and untwisted hull with the Merganser, the foredeck side panels present less deck whacking, the Merganser tracks well but the nature of it's rocker and flared side panels is much nicer in waves, when you lean a Chesapeake far enough it doesn't become any easier to turn and it's high primary stability fights quick turns , the Merganser feels "normal" in waves,,it's not as nice as the Caribou but the Caribou and Merganser would be closer to each other than to the 17LT, the construction of the Merganser won't have the interior angles of deck beams and sheerclamps that require a little more attention to assure adequate sealing as those angles provide more places for trapped water to find its way into the wood when the kayak sits on edge or upside down and water pools for a time. The Merganser is built entirely of 4mm and one 1/2" coaming spacer whereas the 17Lt uses cypress lumber, 4mm, 6mm and 9mm plywood.
The Chesapeake design feels like a platform more than a kayak in that the flat bottom and slab sides lend themselves to upright paddling.
I could be wrong but I believe the Cormorant is more maneuvable but Shawn is the one to answer there.