: 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.

John, I don't have an educated opinon to offer regaeding the chessie's looks.. it was just the ugliest kayak on the beach and looked even homlier on the water. I have to admit it swallowed me easily and was so much faster than the roto molded kayaks that I have borrowed or rented. It tracked arrow straight and I had a very hard time maneuvering it, I've had no instruction and no experience edging or using sweep strokes. I will budget money for lessons or try to meet some serious paddlers locally and try to educate myself. Unfortunately I've not paddled a soft chined kayak yet so will try to locate one to borrow or rent to feel the difference. Thanks for the link to Bryan's article. I read it last fall but it was good to read it again. I understand about the design compromise situation. I am looking for a hull that is pretty good at handling rough conditions and carryngn a heavy load, providing reasonable handling and speed. My available time and $ will limit me to one kayak fo rthe next three years or so. After that I'm sure I will want more...

All I have been able to do is read these last two years, but the figures I notice average 80 hours for a S&G hull versus 120 for strip. Seems the costs were similarly higher.