Hi
I am the builder/owner of Pygmy Arctic Tern standard.
Last summer I was facing the same dillema as you do, so I went to Port Townsend (I live in Portland, Oregon) and tried most of their models.

Coho is a superb kayak overall: good speed, handling, cargo volume, however I found it's initial stability a bit low. Osprey standard is a bit small, Osprey HP is super fast but does not want to turn unless you install rudder. Queen Charlotte line is somewhat outdated and does not provide the cambered deck feature which i find super useful (why all kayak designers don't do this ?)

When all was said and done I settled on Arctic Tern. AT was voted the best sea kayak kit by the readers of the "Sea Kayaker" magazine, but I chose it because it just felt and handled right - all things considered it came on top (for me)

Here is what I like about AT:
- Turns very well with leaned turns - no need for any steering device
- Track well without a skeg.
- Large cargo volume
- Excellent primary and good secondary stability.
- Dry ride

Here is what I dislike:
- Not as fast as I would like - Coho and esp. Osprey HP are faster.
- ??? I guest that's about all bad I can say about this kayak.

In general, I think all Pygmy boats are superbly designed, both from the
"mathematical model" and the "hands-on experience" standpoint.
The designer (Jon Lockwood) has been at this for so long he's learned a thing or two (or three), what cannot be said about some of the "garage tinkerers" in the kayak building community (As the saying goes "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing").

Besides the kayak, you need to also consider other things, like construction process. Pygmy kayak construction process differs from CLC and other makers.
I'd say Pygmy process is VERY good, but the instructions that describe the process have, uhm, some room for improvement. If you choose Pygmy, make sure you read (and re-read), (and re-read) the manual until you really understand what are they talking about.

Also, another poster suggests you build a rowboat or canoe. Well, it all depends on who you are and what you want, but I think where all is said and done, kayak's simplicity, reliability, ease of build, ease of storage, ease of transport etc. cannot be beat by other boats.

Here is a link to some Pygmy kayaks reviews:
http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showKayaks.html?manf=133

Again, I don't think you will go wrong with Pygmy kayak, however, I would discourage you from making your decision based on talk with the salesperson.
Every kayak builder (including Pygmy) will tell you everything you want to hear.
Do your own research.