Hello all,

This is the usual request for help choosing a boat design...

I am a strong paddler with multiple years on both whitewater and ocean, 5'8", 155 lbs, size 10 feet. For several years I paddled and enjoyed a Necky Arluk III kevlar boat, which I very much enjoyed, but sadly no longer own. The Arluk III is an 18 foot, fairly high performance touring boat, with moderate initial and secondary stability.

I miss the Arluk and am considering building a cedar strip kayak to replace it. So far, it seems to me that the Redfish King and the One Ocean Cape Ann Storm look like good candidates for me. Given my small size, the Storm LT might also make sense. I will not be doing lengthy overnight trips, but am looking for a kayak that is faster, more responsive, and more fun to paddle on day trips than the feathercraft aluminum frame boat that I now have. If I can find a design that is fast and handles well that is about 16-16'6 or so rather than 17-18 feet, that would make it easier to handle on a sailboat, which would be an advantage for me.

My question to you gurus out there is whether any of you have actually paddled both the King and the Storm, or maybe even the Arluk III as well. It is mainly the comparative paddling characteristics of the boats that I am interested in at this point in my head scratching. I live in Northern British Columbia, so there is little chance that I will be able to paddle any of the available strip designs before deciding what to build.

I am inclined to not bother with a rudder or skeg, so I am particularly interested in the relative tendency of these two designs to weathercock in a cross wind. I found the Arluk ok but not great in a crosswind unless the rudder was deployed, at least not when it was loaded only with yours truly.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks very much to Guillemot Kayaks for sponsoring this forum.

Best regards,

Allan Edie