: I have been paddling a Chesapeake 17 that I made in 2000 in some larger
: northern Indiana lakes for years, but now I need to look at a smaller
: kayak for the backwaters that are luring me in.
: I believ a 15 ft. kayak would be perfect. I'm looking for comments on the
: shortened Guillemot and Shearwater Hybrid 16 as to how well they maneuver
: in tight places.

If 17 feet is too long, then just cutting off a foot, or even two may not be that big of a difference. Have you considered something in the 14 foot range? not only would that be more maneuverable, but it might be lighter and easier to get into those smaller places. You'd probably increase the beam over what you have with the Chesapeake to get the right displacement. How much do your weigh? Shortening the Guillemot, or any other design, decreases the displacement. If you are a light paddler you can get away with it. If you are on the average to above average size it might still work. A hefty paddler would need to make more changes to the design to restore displacement--and that effectively is designing a new hull shape. It won't be the boat you started out with.

: By the way, got a steal for anyone interested in my Ches.
: 17 (still in excellent shape). I need to sell it to fund the new kayak
: purchase and building project.

Hmm. Since you aren't completely sold on any given design right now, it might not be a good time to sell the old boat. If you can swing a few bucks for a sheet of plywood you might want to consider a skin-on-frame design. You could build it inexpensively, then, if it works as well as you want, sell the Chesapeake. And if it is not that big of an improvement, sell the SOF and build something else. Or, if you manage to squeeze the budget and get the second boat built, you'd have one for a friend to paddle when they go fishing with you.

: So, if you know of anyone in the midwest
: that would like to check out my Ches. 17, I have a nice lake one block
: from my house. (I'm not asking for more than what I put into it.)

Put an ad in the local paper, or take the boat to a local sportign good store and see if they will sell it on consignment for you. There is a new Cabelas and a Bass Pro shop along I-80 just east of Gary. maybe one of them would be interested in handling your boat. Ask what their commision would be. It is to their advantage to have a product for sale which they do not have to pay for, so a savvy manager should be very interested in a high-end product they can showcase. On the other hand, chains can have policies which are inflexible. Never hurts to ask, though. If they won't help you, there are marinas, boat shops, and even bait shops where you can leave photos and sale flyers.

Ask for more than just the value of the materials you built from. Your time and effort are worth something. If the boat is in good shape, then there is a big difference in what someone would pay for a stack of boards and a boat. Be sure your asking price reflects that. No matter how low you put your price, people will expect that to be an opening offer, and negotiate with you for a lower amount. So start a bit on the high side if you want to break even.

Also look at online sales. Craig's list is one place to start. People who would be interested in buying the boat are goint to want ot test paddle it. That might be a bit frosty foe the next few days.

Good luck with your project. Good luck with selling your Chesapeake.

PGJ