I have built and paddled several multi-chined boats with mixed results as far as how thay handled. Last spring I paddled the west river 164 and was very happy with the way it felt. It was probaly faster then my chesapeake 17 but I don't think that is such a big deal. It did track nicley and I found no point into or off the wind where it would weather- cock. It was a stable boat yet rolled easer then my hard-chined boat. It is as easy to build as the other clc boats, just takes a few hours more. Take your time build the boat well, don't over round the seams and the boat will be beautiful finished bright. The last boat I built had a bright hull, it looked great but almost disappears when the light fades, still if I built a westriver I might get out the varnish and leave the paint on the shelf.

Anyone have experience with the CLC West River series, especially the new
> 2nd generation version? How do they paddle? What type of stability? How
> fast are they? How do they track? How hard are they to build? And why do
> you see so many pictures of CLC boats with painted hulls and Pygmy's
> aren't?