Isaiah,,

I came from a unique perspective for CLC when I was there a short stretch,,I had built the competitors boats, I taught kayaking, I had owned a dozen glass/plastic kayaks and had worked in two paddle sports shops. Had experience paddling in coastal conditions as well as a first time builders experience in CLCs "premier racing kayak" the Patuxent with the experience of being in "touring/racing sea kayaks" and a few kayak races. I also had owned a bike shop where a toys used by grown-ups also go through trends like 'sea kayaks' are. I've also seen businesses dissapear after fast growth curves. So while CLC was spewing new kayak designs out with the same testing regimen as earlier boats (zero) based on the same foundation of paddling experience (flat water, no interaction with skilled paddlers) and expending MUCH labor in marketing efforts nothing was done with the core product, the manual and video are excellent improvements for the building experience but didn't change the core product that was still just an ok design from a weight and handling perspective,,let alone cost of manufacture (3kinds of plywood, dimensional lumber).

When someone is spending nearly $1000 and 3-6months building from a kit $75 doesn't make much of a difference to the demographic that you are appealing to with the Wooden Boat ads. That core product enabled the development of other worthwhile designs that allows CLC to divesify out of sea kayaks, which is a smart thing. But that diversification was being hamstrung by developing sea kayak designs that were outside of it's foundation of experience, ,retaining the ring bulkhead in a new design at this late date (the WR180 was a gross copy of Pygmys OspreyHp, the WR18 replaces the WR180) screams "who cares". The person who spends time and money for the kit cares. The development of these "enthusiast kayaks" took energy away from knowing your competition, customer, new construction techniques and allowed your competitors to fill the gaps. Those "enthusiast designs" like the Northbays,Paxs, Sport Tandem and WR18 takes CLC right to the most discriminating customer. Maybe 20% of builders, would notice the shortcomings in the Chesapeake, of the target customer for the niche boats the number is greater. Those folks are the folks that will maintain a continuity in the activity,,that's the future of your goodwill. Goodwill is a great thing,,but once someone has spent $1000 and 4months building something to find out "something's really not right" you lose more than one customer. Within a couple yrs time CLC went from having a price advantage and design disadvantage with Pygmy to no price advantage and design disadvantage with a collection of different kit companies. This was as obvious as a NorthBayXL stern sliding out on the South River or a kids kayak with a grownups coaming.

I wish CLC well,but the hubris behind the attitude that leaders in the field as evidenced by gatherings of KAYAK builders will not notice the short-cuts works to it's disadvantage.