My first impression of the Night Heron was "how can an 18' boat be so maneuverable. It was much easier to turn than the 15' plastic boat I was paddling at the time. Sitting in place, it was easy to spin it 120 degrees or more with a single sweep stroke. It seemed relatively fast and surfed small wind waves effortlessly. It also had a tendency to slide sideways on the water in a crosswind, though showed no tendency to leecock or weathercock.

The Outer Island strikes a nice balance between tracking and maneuverability. In this regard, I'd say it's a better general purpose sea kayak; maneuverable enough for rock gardens, but holds a course well. It was also neutral in the wind and felt pretty quick.

Both boats have plenty of cockpit volume and nice, low aft decks. They roll effortlessly and have good stability for narrow boats. They are probably best suited to day trips, but a weekend's worth of gear should fit in them.

I've got Outer Island plans sitting here waiting for a few other projects to get through the workshop first.