: Looks great! Absolutely stunning. The artwork is very cool and the stripped
: deck looks just great, too!

: I'm about halfway through my first boat (a Pygmy Arctic Tern) and have been
: considering a Merganser 17W hybrid for my next project. Is this your first
: kayak?... first hybrid? Any comments on how easy it was to build? How does
: it handle? I'm wondering how it would handle compared to an Artic Tern....
: Tell me more, tell me more!... Thanks! - Keith

I've only been out in the boat for about three hours on pretty calm, flat water.
So far I REALLY like it. It is the first boat I have built. The building process was pretty staightforward, though there were some gliches because I was one of the first people to buy the hybrid kit from Newfound Woodworks and I was beta-testing the process to some extent. A hybrid kit takes longer to build than a full stich-and-glue kit, but you do get to experience the cedar strip building process and have the pleasure of the wood deck.

I'm in the process of building an Arctic Tern 14 for my wife. I'll let you know
how they compare when I'm done.