: I'm thinking about building my first kayak, no real woodworking experience.
: I've been looking at Pygmy's Artic Tern and CLC's Chesapeake 17LT. I've
: noticed a couple differences in the construction and would like to know if
: they make any real difference.

Depending on whether you choose Pygmy or CLC, stick with their construction
and glassing recommendations. Sucess is virtually assured. I always liked
the Pygmy designs, but was permanently turned off to the company when a few
years ago, as part of their yearly brochure, they proceeded to rip apart the
CLC designs and construction. Haven't looked at their info since. Don't
recall CLC ever returing the favor.

On a related topic, the two S&G's I built many years ago from kits, included
only glass tape for the seams, inside and out. Both were then finished only
in marine varnish, but held up nicely for many years, with only an occassional
recoat. Based on that experience, I've never really understood the need to
glass the boats since it's both heavier and more work ? Is it due to a change
in the quality of plywood, or just a carryover from woodstripping techniques ?

Thanks,

Tom