I wondered if you guys might be interested in an email I sent to my friend who is also making a 17W at this time.

It details some of my thoughts and settles nothing! Remember he is a friend, and also i have not really paddled anything other than a home built SoF up to now.:-

Hi Don,

Great machine except that the Lake was like glass.!

It is nice "sitting deep" with stuff about you. Certainly I like the chines. It enables me to fiddle about when still (camera, drink, get my bum right etc). With the SoF, while it is still, it is tippy, when it is going it is fine.

Like I said I searched out the wave wash today!! I suspect that the skeg will be on the cards but I will wait till I get worse weather to decide that.

The back brace I made.... the stitching came apart. BUT.... that made me realise that the back of the combing is where I want support. I will probably repair the back brace but I will look at a curved wooden (but padded) kind of back rest that conforms in the curve to the combing but is wider and has some sort of "self conforming, sort of hinge thing" !!!!! when I lean back on it. Maybe it is the fabric back brace that I have which will do the job.

Good room in the cockpit, I will not bother with a dash board as yet, perhaps an under deck net? Don't know. Will try and fit a water bottle bungee thingo in the cockpit.

I had dead leg within 20 minutes. I used the bent up the sides seat like your seat that you showed me. They pressed on my thighs and I had to cut away that part. The resulting seat position was better but still far from comfortable, I think the V of the keel had something to do with it OR... My foot position.

I used the foam blocks and started with a position similar to my SoF. I then lengthened my leg stance which seemed to help my bum a bit. My knees were still a bit above the combing. I have never had a position that had my knees under the combing. Also my feet were in the middle of the cockpit, not on the side like it would be if I went commercial. I have a lot of work to do with the seat/bum/and leg position.

It was very stable. I did a few leans and even one paddle brace lean (in the shallows) It goes right up to the deck hull join before it wants to move, possibly above that level. It had a "slap" over a set of three biggish wash waves, it did not want to cut through like the SoF. Parallel waves and she just rode over the top, just a bit of balance needed.

I made no effort to extend myself or do any speed tests. I suspect the SoF is a little easier to paddle (?)

I got quite a bit of water in the cockpit. I was in and out of the Kayak a few times and I presume paddle drip too added to it. It was more than I get in the SoF. In the rear compartment there was some dampness but in the front compartment there was decided "water" (very little but it was more than a drip). This could have nothing to do with the hatches as they only got paddle drips on them. I suspect that the cockpit water might just be passing through somewhere? I have no idea. I cant think that the hull leaks! Particularly in the cockpit with the internal glass layer too.

It turned OK, much like the SoF. I did not tip and re enter today. On the land the water tipped out quite easily.