[Paddlewise] if not AL, how about wood?

I think there is a wealth of experience and knowledge in the PW group so 
hopefully you can all shed some light on this...

In general, what is your opinion of the stitch-n-glue wood/fiberglass 
kayaks?  I'm thinking of boats from kits like those from CLC or Pygmy.  I 
believe these are the two largest producers of such kits, but there are 
others.

In addition to the general "what is your overall opinion" question, here 
are a couple of specifics:
1) the kits seem to weigh in 10-15% lighter than a typical all fiberglass 
boat.  Is this due to less overall strength or lighter materials (the 
lightweight wood core rather than solid layers of fiberglass)?

2) as a 250 lb paddler, I'm concerned about the strength of the boats - in 
particular the deck.  I once tried on someones wooden boat - and when I 
(gently) planted my backside on the deck just behind the coaming in order 
to slide into the cockpit, there was a distinct creaking/crunching sound 
from the deck...the guy said it was nothing but I still wonder if that type 
of construction would handle my less than gentle paddle-float recoveries on 
the back deck.

For someone who enjoys woodworking, these seem to be a great way to get a 
lightweight, custom boat for about 1/2 or 1/3 of the cost of a fiberglass 
boat (plus the labor...but I see this as a welcome winter diversion).  As 
someone with smaller children, the idea of building a triple sounds like a 
way to share the sport with them - and increase the amount of time spent 
paddling.  You also frequently hear the advice that a double or a triple on 
group trips is a great safety tool in terms of hauling an incapacitated or 
weak paddlers.

Thanks in advance for your opinions,
Keith

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