> On 8/14, Larry C. posted a request for information on the Pygmy Queen
> Charlotte, but there were no responses. Is this an indication the design
> is dated or has problems or is just not a very popular boat? I was hoping
> there would be some response, as the QC XL looks to be a boat I could fit
> into (I have big feet).

> Thanks,

> Chris Luneski

I have a co-worker who's husband (he is a fairly big guy) built the Queen Charlotte. I haven't had a chance to paddle it yet, or talk to him after he built it. His wife says he likes the boat a lot. He had no troubles building it. It is probably the easiest of all the Pygmys to build. He did put a rudder on it because it did not track as straight as he liked. I counseled his wife to have him to wait and paddle it for a while before he did so but he wanted the rudder right away. He chopped the point off the stern to add the rudder. He is new to paddling and did not want to have to learn in a boat that didn't track impecably. I here they get a lot of compliments on it wherever they take it. Their local kayak shop owner doesn't like it around because he feels it might detract from his sales. He feels that other people will want that boat and not his. Pygmy is just a couple of hours from here. From what I have heard, the boat is very seaworthy and carves nice sharp crisp turns. It is also very stable. I like the very strong traditional Greenland lines of the boat. The Kayak Builder's of Southern California have a registry with one in it at:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/btreecs/

I think it would be a great boat for someone with big feet. The design is dated, its thousands of years old, it worked for the Greenlander's for a long time. The QC is shaped just like a traditional Greenland Kayak, but sized for us big non-Inuits.

Hope this helps. Mike