>Leaning towards the CLC Chesapeake 17'.

I built the Chesapeak 17' and think it's just the thing. Beautiful boat. If you're building from the plans, I'd recommend reading The Kayak Shop first. If you're cheap like me, it's available from most good library systems, but it's definitely worth owning, and having a copy handy will make the project easier. The main thing is to have patience. If you're not sure about something, wait until you can contact CLC or get advice from the BBS, then proceed.

I don't know if a kit would really save that much time. The glassing and finishing, for me, was the really time consuming part.

As for picking a design, you might follow the link below.