Thanks for your input Alex. I am comfortable w/ the stability/paddleability issue, having been paddling for ~ 20 yrs. I am interested in a double so as to facilitate having my wife or a kid join me on my excersize dashes where they can't keep up in a single. They have excellent balance, and tippy would not be an issue. I get a better workout by pushing them anyway. I plan to rent a tandem prior to committing to this project, but I anticipate that there will be no major suprises. I do not expect to be able to rent or borrow anything like a Pokomoke, however. Most of the commercial tandem designs I have run across so far seem to be beamier and heavier than I am seeking. If you or anyone out there has an idea regarding gaining access to a Pokomoke in South Fla. I would be grateful if you would share that info.

How about your design? Any chance I can get a look at it? could you be so kind as to give me an idea if we are thinking along similar design lines? (LOA, beam, prismatic if available, wt.) If so, any chance that I could use your creation (with appropriate design fees paid, of course)? Please let me know! Thanks,

Rob.

> There are two things here, the boat and the type (tandem).

> I'd suggest hiring/borrowing a tandem and checking whether you like
> paddling one if you haven't already done so, they do not suit everyone.
> Personally I don't mind paddling one, the longest trip was just over a
> month, about 540 km.

> The Pokomoke is tortured ply and personally I'd prefer hard chine for a
> double though I have paddled a narrow strip, round bilge double that was
> very good. My own double I designed as a narrow, hard chine, low windage,
> reasonably light, 1/4 inch ply on the bottom, 3/16 on the sides and deck.
> I put the cockpits apart to negate paddle clash.

> My reservation about the tortured ply is stability. My kayak of preference
> is tortured ply, similar to a stretched (lengthened ? Yare). Very tippy
> but not something I notice too much now that I'm used to it, rather like
> it in the small surf that I've so far played in. Not much volume (doubles
> can have less versus two singles) so my partner carries the bulky things,
> I carry the heavy, on multiday trips. Also she does not like doubles so I
> designed and we built her her own kayak (she wasn't on the long trip
> mentioned before).

> Construction, there are little tricks, would be very fast if you were
> building a few and set up jigs. Having build a few hard chine S&T kayaks,
> I'm glad the tortured was not the first one.

> Recommendation - find a Pokomoke and paddle it to see whether it is what
> you like and can handle.

> Alex