Thanks for your input, Paul. I have taken some time off from this website over the past few years and I recall seeing your posts many times [for anyone reading this, Paul's posts, this website, and Nick's book were most helpful (invaluable) in my construction of a 15' ply-hull/strip-deck hydrid for my daughter]. I would prefer the 14' or shorter yak if I can get acceptable tracking. The Ches. 17 is awesome in that respect. I am weighing in at about 180 lbs.

I bought my wife a plastic 15' ft. kayak that is light and has some nice lines, so I anticipate having the ability to paddle it whenever I need to, so the temporary loss of my own kayak is not an issue. I also have a 15' Perception convertible tandem for fishing on my local lakes, but the beam is about 30". That could keep me going also on the local, but short distance fishing.

Great suggestion about Cabelas and Bass pro. I forgot about them. I know where those shops are located. Got to check out Craig's list. I broke my ebay virginity finally and checked out E-Bay website for the first time last week!

Regards,

Paul

: 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.

: 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.

: 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