: First off, I hope I'm posting this in the right section of the
: forum, if not I apologize. I'm posting this on behalf of my Dad,
: who's not the most computer savvy, and also needs a little nudge
: on getting this project going. He's wanting to make his own
: kayak and loves the look of the strip builts, but is having
: trouble deciding on what model and design to use. Here's a
: little background information. He's 5'8" and 150 pounds and
: here in NE Iowa we have small rivers (20-50 yards wide and 2'-5'
: deep) but there are some fallen trees and such that one may need
: to maneuver, so it needs to be small enough to handle this
: water. He's also taken a kayaking trip to the Appostle Islands
: on Lake Superior and loved it, so it needs to be big enough to
: handle that water too. Some things he's also unsure about is
: S&G hull vs. strip hull on which one is easier, functions
: better, and is easier to keep straight (he's worried about
: getting the strips out of square or twisted somehow). This boat
: doens't have to be a heavy hauler because most trips will be
: short day trips. He's been looking at the Guillmot 17' or the
: Chesapeake 16'. One concern he has is not wanting to have such a
: wide beam that it's hard for him to paddle, or too narrow that
: it's too tippy.

: Does this magical boat exist? I have no idea, but any experiences
: and insight that you can give would be greatly appreciated.

I live in Northern Illinois so know the waters he's going to be paddling on. Really you need two different boats to do both small twisty streams and another completely different one for big waters like Lake Superior. I'd recommend starting with the one for local waters, shorter and wider is better for that, they also will float in less water which makes it easier to get into and out of them on fairly shallow and often muddy streams.

It's nearly impossible to recommend a boat that he'll like, much of picking a boat is what you like the look of and no one else can do that for you. A boat around 14' to 15' with 23-24" beam will likely be nice for the local waters as it'll turn fairly easy and still won't tire him paddling it.

Bill H.