: I'd like to build a skin on frame kayak for me (male, 176 pounds
: weight, 5' 26'' height, 9½ shoes).
: I have no special reason to paddle something longer than 15'
: (should I?) so I just need to choose one from the several
: "Sea Tour 15" list by Yost. The soft chine
: "exp" version looks very nice, but don't know why is 2
: inches wider than the other hard chine versions. Does it mean
: it'll be slower? I think the soft chine version is a bit havier
: and complicated to build. But what about performance?

What do you want to use it for? Just messing about the lake or bay? Long expeditions? Rolling? Racing?
Look at the Sea Rider and Sea Bee designs, too, unless you really need cargo capacity.

A wider waterline does imply more drag, but often also implies more initial stability. A round hull form, though, has less drag, and can also be tippier. I'd say - just guessing - that the differences balance each other out. In any case, I felt the hard chine Sea Tour to be as stable as I ever wanted - and much bigger, volume wise, than I actually ever needed. Most boats can go faster than I care to paddle, so top speed is rarely an issue (for me).

The only reason you need to go over 15' is to build a Sea Rider - a fine boat for messing about, and one that you can roll (or learn to roll in).

Good luck!
Dave Gentry