Hi- I finished my West River 180 back in June, and have paddled it extensively since. My other boats are getting depressed. Since it was my first kit boat, I really don't have anything to compare it to. The extra work involved in multi-chine construction didn't seem to much of a problem. It sure does look pretty, and paddles very nicely. Especially when loaded!It took roughly 110 hours to finish, but in retrospect I could have saved a few hours with more experience. As long as you take your time to make sure that the hull is as fair as possible before doing the glue thing, it should come out just fine. I made the mistake of filling in the stitch holes with wood flour/epoxy, and spent a lot of time sanding off the excess. Next time I'll use some wood putty or such. Easier to sand and it will be encapsulated by the glass. Good luck! Jack Gilman

> I am in the process of building my first boat, a West River 180. The kit
> and components are excellent.I had to make a few "adjustments"
> (Read that 2 skarfs slipped a little while glueing, my fault) I think I
> would reccomend a hard chine kit for a first time builder just because
> there are fewer peices to potentially screw up! I cant comment on
> performance, etc. as I've yet to paddle a kayak. Should have it in the
> water in a week or so. Cant wait!