:I think it would make
: a lot more sense to build a boat for my wife ......

: I still have all of the stations from the Georgian Bay project (2
: sets actually). Could I just shave them down a bit (say ~10%)
: and reduce the distance between the stations by the same
: percentage to get a boat that would fit my ~145 lb wife a bit
: better OR should I consider a different design? If so, is 10%
: enough do you think? If it is not a good idea, what other
: designs should I consider based on the above criteria?

: Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

: -Jon

Jon-
My wife (as a beginner paddler) paddled a LOT of different rental boats and really didn't like any of them much-'like being in a bathtub', etc.
She paddled a Mariner Elan and 'that was it' -ordered one the same day.
There's some interesting stuff on the Mariner website about the evolution of their kayak models, and the discussion about how the Elan developed may be of interest to you.
Notice how the length and basic hull shape was unchanged from the Express. (another great boat, IMO), with the emphasis on reducing the height a lot, and the width a bit as well.
From http://www.marinerkayaks.com/

"A few of the shorter waisted Express owners .... were telling us how much they loved their boats but if they could change one thing they would lower the cockpit so they had more elbow clearance like they had in the Coaster. Not having short waists ourselves we had never seen this as a problem in our kayaks but we could relate because of our experiences with some of the very deep kayaks that we have test paddled.
Besides lowering the cockpit, what else could we change about the Express that would suit these paddlers even better? Well a smaller or shorter waisted paddler is a more stable paddler and could benefit in several ways by having a narrower less stable kayak. It would be easier to paddle due to less drag and wave making. It would be easier to reach over the deck to take paddle strokes (Note: all our kayaks are already narrower in the area where the stroke begins and we keep the area in front of the cockpit low and fittings in this area recessed for paddling comfort as well). A narrower kayak will be easier for a small paddler to lean--especially when carrying a gear load. We wouldn’t want to deprive our small customers of the fun and control that results from steering their kayak with their entire body.
Of course with a lower deck the smaller paddler will have to give up some gear room .... Cam removed about 2 inches from our Express EX (the tippier of the Express hulls), 1 1/4" from the hull and the rest from the deck. This made the Elan about 1" lower and 3/4" narrower than the Express (boats) our short waisted friends already owned. That would give a smaller paddler much better elbow clearance but also lower the sidewind profile so a smaller paddler could handle it better in higher winds. Just for good measure Cam lowered the rear of the cockpit another inch by recessing the back of the cockpit coaming somewhat into the back deck. The result is nearly 2" more elbow clearance than with the Express. "
(c) Matt and Cam Broze