John,

I agree with much of what you said, including avoiding the urge to make uneccessary "refinements", that often seem to backfire.

However, although many of the Greenland kayaks can best be described as "crank", I have also paddled native Greenland kayaks, under 19" beam, that were quite stable. I could nibble on food or get a drink of water without having to brace. The most stable kayaks seem to have plenty of rocker, a seating position on the extreme floor (no floorboards), and a fairly flat hull section (the ribs are bent abruptly as close to the gunwales as possible).

But as others have stated, when the seas are rough, you want the ability to control the kayak, rather than it be tossed about by the wind and waves, and control you. In the last century, some Greenland hunters built a specialized "storm" kayak, a very narrow deep vee hull that would capsize if set in the water unoccupied. According to H.C. Petersen, the wind pressed the flat decks down into the water, adding stability, and this unstable hull became the best choice for experienced (professional) kayakers, in really treacherous weather.

Greg Stamer
http://www.qajaqusa.org