Great reply! Thank you. I like your thinking. Your suggestion will make me think this over until I make the first purchase. Did you know that the Pygmy triple is the same size as the double with additional middle cocpit?

: Build a double first. You can carry the youngest in it for a few years.
: Build a second double right after. Then build a single.

: For speed of construction build the hulls for both doubles from the same
: plans, but change the cockpit configurations. On at least one of them you
: want two very open cockpits, or one long, single cockpit. This way you can
: carry the youngest next to an adult, and you can adjust your seats for
: better balance if the boat has two paddlers of greatly different weights,
: as you would probably have with father and youngest child.

: The second double and the single can have more tightly fitted cockpits.

: With 2 doubles you have one adult in a boat with each child. The parent can
: paddle and steer (rudder is a must) from the stern when the kid gets
: tired, and the kid, being in front is always being watched by the parent.

: Should one boat capsize the other one (steered by an adult) can approach for
: rescue.

: With a triple you have a longer boat which is more difficult (not impossible,
: just more challenging) for a single person to handle, or an adult and one
: kid. You really need two adults in that large of a boat.

: Look at possibilities that only a few from the family will want to paddle at
: any given time: If both parents are not free, then a triple becomes a
: liability. (You are either a long way from your youngest, or you'll have
: an interesting time balancing the boat) Obviously you won't let the 3 year
: old out alone for a few years, so that child rides in a double with one or
: two adults.

: If one adult is cooking the steaks on shore, the other adult can take either
: both kids in the double, (9 year old paddles, 3 year old is baggage) or
: the youngest in the double while the 9 year old paddles the short single.

: If the youngest is with friends, the 9 year old and one adult can go in a
: double, while the other adult goes in either the shorter boat, or solos in
: the other double.

: In future years the doubles become even more practical than a triple. In just
: 5 years your 14 and 8 year old will be a paddling team that will challenge
: their parents. With two identical hulls it would be an even race (yeah,
: right! ) by that time, and for a decade after, the matchups may be one
: parent in a single, the kids in a double, and one parent soloing the other
: double.

: Beyond that you'll need a new single for the spouse, as your kids will be
: takeing their dates out in the doubles.

: hope this helps

: PGJ