: I am contemplating building an Arctic Tern, possibly a 14, for mostly day
: paddling on coast of Maine, some overnights. I am 5'7" ,130-140
: lbs.,and a novice paddler.

Hi Alice -
I built a Tern 14' for my friend Barb this summer. She's exactly your height and size ~~ she loves the boat. I've got some photos I'll post on my site over the next several days. She has no problem keeping up with me in my Tern 17' and she really likes it's manuevability. She finds it quite stable, enough so that on calm days she'll throw her feet over each side of the boat to relax on calm afternoons. It's a great boat. She says my Tern 17' glides better but finds it large. Heck, I find it a bit large and I'm 6'1" and 220lbs.