Re: [Paddlewise] Wooden Kayaks - Which to choose?

In a message dated 1/19/99 7:11:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,
tigerisland_at_mindspring.com writes:

<< Help me out here. I'm sure this has been debated before, so bare with me, I
 recently signed on.
 Which is better? Pigmy or Chesapeake? Multi chine ar hard chine? Golden Eye
 or or Chesapeake-17' Kit or plans?  >>

Don't know that an awful lot of people will have enough experience with both
the Pygmy and CLC boats to give you a fair answer, Chris.  The Pygmy boats
I've seen are beautiful craft, but I chose a CLC kit because I have easy
access to CLC and their boats, and I can paddle them to get a sense of what I
like all summer.  Easy choice --- the new CLC North Bay, which is still in the
process of getting a deck on it.  At least as soon as I can stop fiddling with
the internal structure.  As to kits vs. plans, Chris Kulczycki's "Shop Notes"
indicate that you can save about 20% on the total investment by buying plans
--- depending a lot on your area and your access to good grades of marine
plywood --- but a kit will be far easier to build.

Without any implied disparagement to Pygmy, I'm really happy with my CLC kit
and with the easy access I have to Chris, to John Harris, the shop manager,
and to all the other folks who work there for their pleasant handling of my
dumb and dumber questions.  They like what they're doing, and it shows.

And they do have a Cape Charlie plan set for your new kayaker!  Good luck with
the decision, and enjoy the process of building.

Jack Martin
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