This is a far cry from a squirt boat! Kayaks are great boats, and readers of this board obviously love them. However, I don't think that the kayak form is appropriate for every use. Two adults, two kids, a dog and a picnic, on still water, would appear to call for something closer to a "traditional" rowboat such as a skiff, dory or a wherry. (I don't know enough about small crafts to distinguish dories and wherrys or skiffs for that matter. Perhaps others can fill in the differences.) I think even the Inuits probably used an umiak when the passenger/cargo requirements exceeded the capability of a kayak. I would particularly want a wide stable boat when the dog starts licking the picnic remains off the kids faces. You can always take the low volume kayak along as a play boat! Mark--I will let you put in the links to Pygmy or CLC's rowboat designs.

> In order to paddle comfortably, yet still design a stable, comfortable
> triple (or Quad), what is the maximum beam and height (keel to peak
> of depth) that is practical? I'm thinking I'm going to expand my stitch
> and glue drawing that I've been fooling with into a large, open cockpit
> family boat for flat water in protected environment near shore. I'd
> like to eventually carry two adults, two toddlers, and a 60 lb dog
> w/ picnic stuff, so I'd like to go wide and low, but still have adequate
> freeboard.