Better late than never. These photos are from 2004 when I launched my newly completed Shearwater Merganser in Glacier National Park, Montana. The photos are of the upper end of St. Mary Lake, where I launched to explore the source of these beautiful waters. I took the pix with a film camera, so posting was postponed.

The Merganser has been a great first sea kayak for me, and I've since toured many of the lakes in Glacier, Yellowstone, and Montana in general. The Merganser is a reasonably fast, comfortable, easy cruiser, and carries a moderate load for touring. It also performs well and is fun in swells and wind waves.

The outfitting includes a Redfish foam seat, and a Bomber backband. I formed hip pads from minicell. The coaming is fiberglass & graphite, as described by One Ocean Kayaks. The buckle system for the hatches was ordered from Current Designs Kayaks. The black line at the shear is epoxy blackened with graphite powder.

I built the Merganser from plans using locally purchased Okoume plywood, which I luckily found through Montana Boat Builders in Livingston, Montana. Thanks to the Baker brothers for directing me there. The layup includes 4 oz E-glass for the deck, and 4 oz S-glass for the hull, including a second layer on the football, with addition abrasion layers on the stems. All fiberglass and graphite came from Sweet Composites in Maryland. Thanks to Eric Schade for friendly advice and for a great design.

Chris