: One thing to consider is short waterline paddleboats are inferior paddlers.
: They are generally slow, don't offer much glide and don't track all that
: well. The plastic boat manufacturers really dig short hulls because their
: rotomolding molds cost more than a $1000 a foot and full length
: polyethylene hulls are so heavy they come off poorly compared to other
: types.
: I was paddling a 9½ foot, poly, Old Town "Otter" recently. It was
: OK but a lot like sitting in a bathtub. They cost $299 at Cabellas. To
: build somthing similar in wood/epoxy would cost a lot more and it wouldn't
: paddle any better.

All short boats are not created equal - glide, tracking and touring speed are not controlled by length necessarily. Theoretical hull speed is, not that most people get close to that speed - however, I think this issue has been beaten to death by others. A well-designed short boat can have great glide and tracking - paddle my SC-1 or a Mariner Coaster sometime and you may become a believer. The CLC Wood Ducks look like they might be nice paddlers as well.