: Yea. I know that my suggestion of proportionally shortening the FD
: is overly simplistic, yet I feel justified in thinking in this
: manner as Nick even describes the design as a stretched
: Expedition. I wouldn't go this route without consulting NS, as
: my knowledge of kayak design is limited to a consumer level.
: Nevertheless, this is clearly a realm where too much boat will
: quickly kill the fun, and I doubt that I'm the first to desire a
: design that can go the long haul with one adult and one kid. I
: would, of course prefer a design that doesn't need
: modifications, as I'm sure it will cost significantly more to
: modify a design than to simply buy a "stock design".

Why not find a place where you can rent a double, and take it out with you and the son. See how one rides that's designed for two adults, and if that's acceptable, then build the standard double. That way you have a boat that isn't specific to having an extremely low load in front.

Plus, you can always load a little ballast in the front compartment if you need to trim it for the lighter front paddler...

StephenHJ