> I'm considering building a stitch and glue boat. This would be the first
> boat I've built, so I'm looking to do it from a kit. I'd like something
> that's lighter and more maneuverable than my current boat, which is a
> plastic Perception Eclipse. I'm not afraid of building a boat that will
> take some effort to grow into, if the performance justifies it.

> I've read lots of positive reviews of Pygmy's Arctic Tern, but at 23"
> it seems a bit beamy.

> The CLC North Bay looks like an interesting boat, but at 18.5' long, I'm
> not sure how maneuverable it would be (and it would be a tight fit in my
> garage).

> Does anyone have any experience with or recommendations of either of these
> boats, for performance and ease of building?

> Thanks in advance, Dan

Dan,

If you are interested in taking a class to build one there is Blazing Aspen Kayaks in Olympia Washington. They are high performance Greenland style S&G kayaks and are not available in kit form. It is my understanding that you can build in a class or by a completed kayak. I think they range from 16 to 18 feet long and 18 to 21 inches wide. They have carbon fiber or kevlar (I can't remember which) reinforcements and VCP hatches. The hull bottom is concave shaped to emphasize the chine and to emulate a true skin Greenland kayak. They was one pictured in "Sea Kayaker" "One-of-a-Kind" a few months ago. I've talked to people that have paddled them and they say that they are VERY high performance kayaks.

Mike