How about a hybrid? Check out the link below to Shearwater Boats. They have a 16'x21" hard-chined hybrid called the Merganser, available as plans or a kit through Newfound Woodworks. Since she's a first-time builder, this would be a good way to go to learn both methods and get a very nice-looking kayak. Skeg plans/parts are not included, and are probably not necessary on that boat, but could be custom-added easily enough.

Another option would be the free kayak plans offered in the Fall '94 issue of Sea Kayaker magazine. Check out this link for some pictures and reviews of that particular boat:

http://home.earthlink.net/~kbsc/reg_rr1.htm

There are 2 reviews of that kayak on that site. The plans are for an 18'x21.5" Greenland-style kayak, but I do CAD (computer-aided design) work and have created full-size drawings -- I could scale the boat down for you to 16' or 16.5' if you were set on building that one.

Handling-wise, both of these boats are hard-chined and will handle more like the Sparrow Hawk than like the Nighthawk.

Dean