Hi Dan!

The very most serious of serious female Greenland Paddlers in the US recommended the Petryl to me. I built a Night Heron with reduced deck heights fore and aft of the cockpit, and it's a bit curvy, which makes for some tricky stuff, and the Petryl is more curvy. It's absolutely no problem if you're patient and work carefully.

I'd give serious thought to the Iggy, like Brian says. It's a real bona-fide Greenland boat, and the hull shape is much simpler, so you'll finish up a lot faster. Also, it doesn't seem like it's on your radar screen, but I have been looking for a plan for my wife as well, and she's a beginner. I talked to Bjorn Thommason about his designs, and he feels that the Black Pearl is the best design for her. I think you should consider it- it's another simple shape that goes together really fast. He says even a first-time builder should get it done in around 100 hours. That's a lot less than my NH.

m