: I am interested in opinions from those who have built and used Patuxent in
: varied conditions. I am interested in only v. light touring and o/w more
: interested in performance. Secondary > primary stability, handling.
: Interested in performance opinions...I am 160# and will mostly be in
: protected water, but some coastal and waves. Prefer no rudder, hard chine
: design. Other considerations: San Javier Single--anyone built one? or CLC
: 17 LT. Thanks.

I recently finished a Patuxent 17.5, and am quite pleased with it. I am also in the 160# range, and find the boat a good fit. So far, the boat has only been in lakes - but one outing had 20 knot winds (steady), so it was a decent test. First, CLC claims the Patuxent is a fast boat - and they are right - it glides very nicely, and requires very little effort to maintain speed. Tracking is a different matter. The first time I had the boat out, tracking was marginal. The next time out (the 20 knot winds), a friend recommended a 1.5 liter bottle in the rear hatch to "trim out" the boat. I was a little suspicious, but he was right - the boat tracked like it was on rails. Initial stability is probably the greatest weakness of the boat. It simply doesn't have any. But secondary stability is very good. The absence of initial stability only seems to be a problem when getting into or out of the boat. Once at speed, it is not much of an issue. And the rougher the water gets, the more this boat seems to like it.

Overall, the Patuxent 17.5 is a great boat - just remember the water jug. If I was to build another, the only design change I would make would be to lower the rear deck - both to get it out of the wind, and make the boat easier to roll. And maybe move the cockpit back an inch to eliminate the need for the water bottle.

In talking to the folks at CLC, the Ch17LT gives better initial stability and tracking, but the tradeoff is a slightly slower boat.