I've built the boat of which you speak, and I'd advise against it. It is tippy, turns slowly and is very delicate, as the deck is not glassed. It's a fine racing boat, but not great for anything else. In heavy weather the North Bay should perform better, but is probably equaly as tippy (No personal experience here, just judging by the beam).

Getting purely subjective here, but I think that the Chesapeake series looks bulky. You should consider Pygmy's Arctic Tern.

> I was hoping to get some opinions about the 19.5' Putuxent. I want to
> build a stitch and glue that is relatively fast to make. I also want to
> use the kayak for mostly day trips in the Great Lakes Region, but also
> want it for weekend camping trips. Mostly wondering about the stability
> and comfort of this boat for longer trips. Is it geared mostly towards
> racing, or is suitable for the above listed uses. Thank-you.