: I don't think it is too large for lake use. You might want to go even larger!
: If you want to fish, or take pictures from the kayak it is convenient to
: have a nice large cockpit opening. With slightly arthritic knees you'll
: not want to go through contortions to get into the boat. Small cockpit
: openings are for keeping out the water when the waves are high and the
: water is cold. A good compromise is a large cockpit and a good sprayskirt.

: If you want more stability, consider flattening the floor a bit more so it is
: more like a shallow "V" shape than a smooth half of an oval. The
: slightly sharper keel line will give a tiny improvement to tracking. Going
: with a tighter radius where the floor hits the sidewalls will also give
: you more distinct separation between sides and bottom--and should also
: help with stability.

: Don't try to match the length of your boat to the car you carry it on. That
: puts too many constraints on the boat design. There are plenty of racks
: commercially available, or you can construct your own, which will support
: a longer boat. The way things are going with gasoline prices in a few
: years you'll still have the boat, but your car will be considerably
: smaller and more fuel efficient.

: Just my thoughts.

: PGJ
Thanks Paul for your comments. Yes I did wonder if it needed to be a tighter curve at the chine and a more distinct keel line. Ill work on that.
Your right about the length constraint and the reason was nothing to do with making a great kayak - I will be frequently using a ferry which charges by the meter length of the space you use so if I could get to within what Im committed to for the car so much the better(for the pocket). However there is a minimum Ive just discovered so there is another foot or so to play with so Ill work see what that will give me in terms of increasing the length. Just my luck they will decrease the minimum the day after I finish it!!
Cheers
Niven