Grant:
I can offer you my experience with the tern 17.
Pros: I think its a great boat and the best all around of the pygmy designs and easily my favorite boat in my fleet. I test paddled them all before buying my second kit. It tracks straight as an arrow, but with the hard chines still carves a turn if you lean it over. Surfs wind waves with the best of em. The cockpit is big, its easy to sit down and then tuck your legs in. Capacity for multi-day trips is ample. It was the first boat i have made.

Cons: It really needs some good knee and thigh braces to take advantage of the hard chines. The new pygmy kits come with some extra foam that helps with this. I still don't have mine perfected. I have the standard version and there isn't room in there for my size 10 rubber boots, especially if you like a pad under your ankles. So I usually wind up taking off my shoes and wearing neoprene socks. (the new high volume version should cure that) Its a good overall compromise.

Plywood:
I have been really interested in Jim Michalak Boat Designs lately. He has built his own designs for testing with cheap lumberyard plywood, bondo, and resin. He only glasses the outside of the hulls and has some boats over 10 years old that are still going strong. Check out his website and essays on plywood and building materials. I have some of his plans and will use the cheapest exterior plywood at my local home improvement super-mall and 'upgrade' to epoxy when I build them. Whatever you build, you will always be able to repair. I take comfort in that.

hope this helps in your decision making.

shawn

: Jim: I notice from your web site that you have also built a Pygmy Tern 17.
: This is another design I am also toying with. Could you provide me with
: your impressions of the Tern regarding: volume, weather cocking,
: maneuverability, need for rudder/skeg, tracking. etc

: grant