: There are lots more experienced people visiting this site and you will get
: other advice, but for what it's worth, I think you should get out and try
: as many kayaks as you can. You will quickly develop an idea of what you
: and are comfortable in. I have a friend abt 240 lb who built a CLC 17
: which I don't think he will paddle much.

HAS he paddled much? All boats feel tippy at first, but after only a few times out, you get more and more comfortable. You don't progress too rapidly if your boat is too stable, as it doesn't force you to learn the boat's "edges" or explore the boat's capabilities. Conversely, if it's far too tender, then you won't progress at all, since you're afraid to paddle it.

: I think what is 'big enough' will
: have a lot to do with your experience, ability and intended use.

Agreed. You should still look for a boat you will grow into, rather than one that is just right, right now.

: This friend is an experienced sailor and finds the CLC 17 very 'tender'.

Stability in sailboats and kayaks are two very different things. In a sailboat, it's affected by the depth and weight of your keel, wind speed, boat speed, trim, amount of sail furled, etc. In a kayak, it's due more to seat height, relative looseness of your hips, and your level of relaxation--more relaxed = more stable.

: He thinks he should have built a CLC 18 which might be correct but based his
: choice on manufacturers max load capacity. No doubt the stated max cap of
: the CLC 17 is correct and it would be a comfortable boat for someone of
: his weight with more kayaking experience and having the right
: expectations.

Encourage him to just go out in calmer conditions and just enjoy paddling--I hope he will find that he will eventually get very comfortable in the boat. I hate to see someone spending so much time and effort to build a boat and then find out that it doesn't suit him. Maybe even encourage him to rent or borrow a wider boat for awhile, once he builds a baseline level of confidence in kayaks, the Ches 17 won't feel so tender to him. Tell him it's just like expecting to be comfortable your first time out in a Laser.

: The way a boat handles can change radically depending on how
: much you load and how you trim. By the way, 70-100 lbs of camping gear is
: a lot of stuff, have you actually weighed what you take? I canoe camp a
: bit and I think that would cover two of us for 4-5 days, excluding the
: beer. Oh...

Only a keg is much easier to carry in a canoe than a kayak!!

Shawn