Hi, Glenn,

Thanks for your reply. I am likely moving to the northwest in the spring, so if that does happen, I'll be able to visit Port Townsend easily. I'm currently in the middle Tennessee area, fairly close to Nashville. Didn't there used to be a kayak symposium or "demo days" or something where Pygmy and other manufacturers would have demo models on the beach at Fort Worden, and you could paddle them in a bit less protected waters? Or maybe that was a one-time thing that I read about years ago?

Lots of love for the Coho, it seems! :)

I guess maybe adding some more info might help. I'm tall, about 6'2", not too slim or too heavy, sort of average, I guess (though I've been losing, and would love to qualify as slender one of these days). My current boat is a plastic Necky Looksha IV, and I love the combination of speed and maneuverability it has. My first boat was one of the original Wilderness Systems Cape Horns, the one that was just over 15' I think. It was fun to learn in, but slow. I love my Looksha, but it's showing its age, oil-cans way too much when I strap it on the roof rack, and it weighs about 65 pounds and I don't have the upper body strength to cartop it by myself. Plus I want to build something that is not only lightweight and a great boat, but is beautiful.

I worry a bit about a Coho, as it seems like a much higher volume boat than my Looksha, and that's not what I'm after. The Looksha is a nice fit for me, and I don't want something that feels big and loose. Though I know that cockpit fit is very "tunable" with knee and hip brace padding.

I want something that is fairly quick as far as acceleration and easy cruising speed (don't care as much about absolute top speed), and is fairly maneuverable. I like the looks of the Murrelet with the revised 'more rocker' hull, but don't know if I'll fit, as it seems directed at smaller women (and men) than me. I think the Arctic Tern 17 is absolutely beautiful, and it is supposed to carve nice turns, but I've seen people complain about it being a bit slow.

Anyway, there's the more info that I probably should have provided much earlier, lol. Thanks again to all of you for offering your insights and experience.

Best,
~Lia