Well, Molly, you can see that you get lots of great advice fast on this forum! I agree with the folks that say go with wire ... Pygmy doesn't actually use copper, but what they use works fine. I've built an Osprey Double, a Tern 17, and I'm within a week or so of putting a Tern 14 in the water for paddling (final sanding and varnishing to follow in the fall).

Ideally, you would want to paddle the Osprey Standard and the Tern 14 to decide what to get. I've paddled them both, and I like them both. I'm actually building the Tern 14 for a friend, but I suspect I'll build one for me next. I'm 5'6", about 140 lbs, and the Tern 14 is a perfect "day kayak." I've discovered that's what I do. I have aspirations of overnighters, but I don't know that I'll ever really do that. I love my Tern 17, but realistically, it has way more volume that I need, and it needs more weight than I carry for day outings. The Osprey Std will be somewhere in between. I think you would find the Tern 14 more manueverable without a rudder, and maybe just a tad more fun all around. A bit of a sports car, without being tricky. You'd find the Osprey Std to be more predictable and more of a "cross over" to a full touring boat.

As someone on this forum a year or two back advised someone else pondering more than one model, just pick one and build it. You'll love the process of building it, you'll love the kayak once its built, and you probably won't be able to stop at building one.

Let us all know which direction you take.