> Either boat would be a good boat for your purposes. As far as I know, they
> are both good boats for primarily day-touring, but have enough capacity to
> do an overnight trip or so.

> They are both about the same level of difficulty as far as building. The
> Patuxent may be a bit easier, because there are fewer seams to align.

> Hard-chine boats offer the ability to do sharp leaned turns. Multichine
> (and soft-chined boats) don't really allow much of a leaned turn. Turning
> is pretty much the same as when the boat is level. Build whichever one you
> think looks best! (They are both beautiful boats)

> Shawn

Let me add a thought here - but not about the relative merits of your potential selections. Don't be overly concerned about your experience, or lack of it - you will absolutely grow into any boat you choose. I used to make and sell fiberglass boats (can I say that on this board? - blasphemy!) and far too many people bought boats that were too slow and stable because they were 'novices'. For those that did any paddling at all, it soon got old trying to keep up with their faster friends. With any boat, start out in calm shallow water, and gradually as you build confidence you'll begin to see yours and the boats limits.

Apart from the construction issues, a far better question to ask (yourself) is "what will I primarily be using the boat for?" I submit that you will never have too much 1. comfort, and 2. speed. Comfort isn't just sitting in the boat. Look for good, watertight hatch design, a large enough hatch opening that you can load big items easily (these two are not mutually exclusive). Day tripping or extended trips, you'll appreciate this feature. And finally, being tall, I've always liked a large cockpit for easy entries and exits. This last seems to me to be especially important with wooden boats that you may not want to run up on the beach. Finally, no singlle seat is comfortable for all people - plan on some trial and error here.

My 2 cents - hope it helps.

Lars