Hi Rich -
I'm 49, 6'1" and 220lbs, 46L coat size, 36" waist, size 11 feet. Most of my weight, including the 20 extra lbs. is upper body, so my build makes most kayaks feel a bit "tippy" at first. I'm building the Cape Ann Storm. I started kayaking this summer after I built a Pygmy Arctic Tern as my first kayak. I picked the Storm because I'll be primarily day paddling and don't need the extra volume of a larger boat for gear. If I do any multi-day camping I'll probably take the Tern. I don't get the sense from Vaclav that the Storm will be unusually tender. I'm almost finished stripping the hull and really like the looks of the design. Harder chine just aft of the cockpit and plenty of fore and aft volume for handling in waves. The stern fairs into a nice fin that you could easily extend slightly to increase tracking. Most of my paddling is on a local flat water lake although I intend to develop skills, including rolling, that will allow me to enjoy the much more challenging open waters of Lake Erie.
There appears to be plenty of foot and leg room in the Storm. The forward cockpit is 5/8" higher than the Arctic Tern. You can also increase or decrease the size of the cockpit to suit your particular needs. Whether someone with no experience will be able to handle any kayak you build will have lots to do with their comfort level on the water since any kayak will require some level of skill. After talking with Vaclav, I selected the Storm since, with no gear and my size and weight, it should be at about its designed water line for the paddling I'm doing.