: We were actually looking at the "Yare" design in "The Kayak
: Shop" and what you said about the difficulty in shaping the round
: bottom makes sense. Being a first time deal, the hard-chined would
: probably be easier. I also think the boys would prefer the extra comfort
: of the additional volume. The boys in this group vary a great deal in size
: and weight, and a couple of them might have difficulty getting into a boat
: with a shallow design. Thanks for the advice.

The Yare was my first foray into kayak building in '95. Scarfing the hull panels is tricky, and if you're a little off there is a huge difference in rocker at the ends. Tying it together has challenges too. And when it's all done, you have an inexpensive, quickly built, small, low-volume, light, fast, hard-tracking boat, but one that has exceptionally low initial stability, low storage capacity and low maneuverability. It's all a matter of what your tradeoffs will be. My son still enjoys his Yare, partly because he enjoys the challenge of staying upright in it. For a 5'11" 200# adult with 11's, there is no foot room, no knee room, and not enough space for a comfortable seat without raising it so high that stability is even worse. I refuse to use it as a loaner for all these reasons, and if I had it all to do over again I'd build something else. Anything else. The Walrus in one form or another would be a much better choice, IMO.