: Looking for a stitch and glue design as a first build. Time and $
: preclude strip built for now. I was at a CLC demo day a few
: weeks ago and the Chesapeake 18 fit me well but to be honest I
: can't get past the looks. The CLC guys recommended the
: Merganser, and Eric recommended the 18wide for me. I am
: 6'4" tall and 275 presently, size 12 shoe. I am a fairly
: inexperienced paddler, but will like with this kayak a couple
: years. I will be paddling in the Gulf waters in South Florida. I
: like the idea of a boat I can grow into but need sufficient
: initial stability to facilitate learning. I need to be able to
: handle rough conditions when winds kick up, and to carry a fair
: amount of gear. I was at the launch of the Everglades Challenge
: a week ago and want to be able to do the challenge in a kayak.

: The Merganser is billed as a "low to medium" volume boat
: but I assume the 18W would swallow a bit of gear. What about the
: 19' Baidarka? As I began to read about the design it seemed like
: a kayak designed to move heavy loads through rough seas. I like
: the looks of both of these designs. I am open to any other
: suggestions as well. If memory serves me correctly I did a
: search for "Merganser" on the board here and there was
: one or two in Sarasota? I'd love to see one!

What was it about the Chesapeake looks that you didn't like?

We all have our own ideas about how a 'proper kayak' looks, I suppose.
(I really don't care for cockpit coamings with a sharp 'point' at the mid-line, but they seem to be quite popular...it's a big world.)

Can you rent/borrow kayaks to paddle? (I've rented a few times and found that most of the offerings were of the wide & high volume type.)

For me, there is quite a difference in paddling 'feel' between a hard-chine (flatter-sided) boat and a very rounded hull.
You may prefer one to the other, and it's a lot easier to decide on a design if you know what style of boat you are looking for.

If you are looking at designs that are described as 'strong tracking', you should read Bryan Hansel's article:
http://www.paddlinglight.com/articles/kayak-weathercocking-vs-tracking/

IMO, there's no such thing as a boat that's great at everything. You may find that a good boat for learning to paddle (solid for edging, easy-turning) is not the best choice for hauling a lot of gear. Or, perhaps you will be that (rare) builder who owns only one boat!
;-)

In my experience, there's not that much difference in time and $$ between strip and S&G from plans, if you resist the temptation to get 'artistic' with the strip pattern, though the molds and strongback will add another Saturday's worth of work.

Also, be sure to budget some $$ for lessons and gear.