Hi Jeff,
I commented earlier on my own Shearwater Merganser 17, and again, if it's maneuverability that you desire, I would not suggest a hard chine kayak. I began running whitewater in 1976, so I am a kayaker first, and a boat builder second. That is, form follows function: aesthetics are great, but performance comes first. I believe that the best performance will come from a strip-built boat. My Guillemot stripper is finished except for varnish, but with winter coming, I will wait until spring to significantly paddle it. But -- I have decided that I will only build strip boats from here on out, and I will lean heavily toward ripping my own strips again, and using a block plane for a rolling bevel. I too have built furniture, but I don't care if my strips are not full-length: a good scarf joint suits me very well aesthetically. Yes, a strip built boat takes longer, but once the woodworking is complete and the boat is sanded and faired, you enter the fiberglass and epoxy stage. The glass and epoxy stage can be close to the same amount of time whether the boat is S&G or strip built. The glass and epoxy costs can be close to the same in both construction methods. Both boats need varnish, and both boats will scratch with use. I think that you would enjoy the strip-built process very much.
Chris

: The more I look at what I'll be doing with this boat I think I want
: maneuverability above speed. I'll probably use it mostly for exploring
: shore lines in large inland lakes and taking it up small tributaries from
: our larger rivers that I live by. So I want it to turn fairly easily.

: The Shearwater 17 hybrid is one I am considering but at my weight (currently
: 225# but working to get it below 200#) I don't want to be squeezed too
: tight in the boat.