Well, the Arctic Tern 14' I built for Barb got wet for the first time this afternoon. Here's some observations:
Barb was using a Werner Littler Dipper paddle which has a 15% smaller blade than my Werner Camano. She and her Tern 14' had NO problem staying with me in my Tern 17' at cruising speed. She felt it was as stable as my Tern and it turns a heck of a lot quicker than my 17'. When we paddled aggressively, my larger paddle area and longer waterline made a difference.
- Responsive, quick and definitely not squirrelly. It was windy but the water was calm and Barb spent some time with her legs draped outside on the deck, paddling around in that fashion.
- It tracks just fine, about the same minimal yaw as my 17'.
- At 135lbs. and 5'7", Barb was right at the ideal waterline in her Tern 14'.
- At 215lbs. and 6'1", I was seated comfortably in the boat but it was too small. I displaced/sank another inch or so and it definitely felt sluggish with my size and weight.
- With hatches, bulkheads and all hardware, etc. it finished out at 32-33lbs and that's with extra fiberglass reinforcement on the rear deck.
All in all, Barb's delighted. This is one nice boat.