I am not sure where you are at with your build.

If you build light ... the expedition would be a total rocket. I built mine with no concessions to lightweight, but that boat holds the sea kayak class record for the 'Foxton River Loop' kayak race and still stands for 3 years now.

If you used your heat gun and have faithfully produced the wine glassed bow sections and hollow stern ... keep your random-orbital sander well away from your ends otherwise you will grind semi-circles into them when you are fairing.

I like the ultra manouvrability of the expedition single and don't advocate rudders or skegs ... but a built in adjustable skeg would make the boat a little less squirrelly in a quartering sea and you would chop surf a bit better.

But don't retro fit the skeg. A chap I know achieved epoxy sensitivity retro-fitting a skeg to his expedition single (it is a bit hard to wear a respirator and work through the rear hatch) .

I don't have a skeg and find the lack of one only a mild irritation very occasionally.

Otherwise my expedition single is pretty much stock standard and loving it.

A hand carved greenland paddle is an easy way to have a matching all wood paddle for your hand crafted boat. I like the greenland paddle, each paddle is custom made for you by you and it is a very good all round paddle .. and great for rolling.

http://www.qajaqusa.org/QK/makegreen2.pdf

I used a big wide blade europaddle for my Foxton River loop race world record though

Good luck with your build and happy paddling

Pete