I have the regular Chesapeake 17. It is very stable but difficult to lean, brace and roll. I'm only an intermediate level paddler but those are critical maneuvers in rough water. Everyone is different but I don't like to take it out in strong winds, whitecaps or seas greater than about 2'. Maybe there's a reason CLC 17 owners are flat water paddlers

I would choose a different design for those conditions. I've always built from plans and it is not difficult. Cutout the patterns with an inexpensive saber saw. If you want that style boat then I would pick a design that behaves more like a classic Greenland qayaq and then learn to get comfortable with the lower initial stability - maybe Bobby Curtis' Sea Spirit? There are also tons of other interesting S&G designs out there: Nick's S&G Night Heron and Vaclav's Cirrus to name a few.

In my limited experience, a kayak with lower initial and higher secondary stability is almost by definition more seaworthy.

www.ChipSandresky.com

: Hi.I am considering building the Chesapeake lt17 from a kit.

: I don’t really have an alternative to Chesapeake as I live in Europe and
: don’t know of any other kit boat available here (and I don’t have the
: skills required to build from plans).

: I need a reasonably stable boat – if I were buying a glass boat I would go
: for the skerray.
: I am buc 3* and hope to graduate of 4* in the next couple of years
: but,realistically my skills are never likely to get above that level.

: I am 6’ and 176# .
: I would be using the boat on the atlantic.
: How good a rough water boat is it?
: Much of the information online seems to be from flat water paddlers.