: Like so many others, I have caught the kayak building bug, and am collecting
: wood for my second stripper, picking through the cedar at HD and Lowes. I
: finished a Redfish Silver this past Spring, and have been enjoying it very
: much. If I built a second stripper I could paddle with my wife or a
: friend. I would like to build a second boat with a higher potential top
: speed, so longer waterline and narrower would fit the bill. Manuverability
: is not as important as tracking. The Outer Island and Night Heron both
: look appealing, but I am of a smaller stature that those boats seem to be
: optimized for. I would appreciate any thoughts on the characteristics of
: those boats or other options, especially with a 145lbs 5'8" paddler
: in mind.

: Thanks,
: Ken F
Can I jump into this conversation. I am building an Arctic Hawk kit and it is going slowly with my perfectionism and life getting in the way. I wonder if anyone could share thoughts for my next build. I would like to try a SOF or a stripper. I live an hour away from Ventura so the ocean and harbors are the places I would paddle most of the time. When I build up some skills, I hope to go out with a paddling club (CKF) beyond the breakwater, might even try a trip to the Channel Islands if a group would take on a newbie.

So here is the real deal: I am 5ft 2in and way 180. In high school and college I weighed 144. Did a camping bike trip from Oregon to Colorado and came back at 140. I might be able to get to 150 which would be much healthier for me.
Speed: just want to keep up with the pack
Tracking prefer pretty straight travel
Volumn don't need a lot of gear, want the boat to fit me mainly.

Any thoughts

Thanks and pardon the spelling and typing.
This board is wonderful