: Anyone out there own or paddled a Merganser kayak? I'm thinking of building a
: 15 or a 16 and would like to know what others think of its handling. Kits
: are available through Noah's and I'd also like opinions on how complete
: and easy to follow their instructions are. And finally, the choices are a
: S&G kit or a hybrid kit with a S&G hull and a strip deck. Would that be
: too much for a first time builder to bite off?

: Thanks.

: Patsy in North Carolina

Patsy:

I responded a while back to you on the Merganser. My SO has the 16 version. She is 5-7 and 125 lbs. The water line tends to be about 1 inch or there abouts below the deck when some gear is packed in the boat. The area to the front of the cockpit fits fairly snugly. pay attention to these details when deciding on the kayak size you are looking to build.

the boat appears to turn on a dime when leaned although it still tracks well when going straight. the ends are slightly greenlande style which look nice although can lead to some weathercocking and require paddle strokes to correct for.

in terms of stability, at 21" wide or thereabouts its less stable than the CLC line of boats just because of its narrowness but it is something you can and will get used to. if you are used to a wide commercial boat though it will feel very unstable in the beginning.

I think you had said that you paddled some british kaysk previously and I would say the Merganser would perform more like them than most american styled boats from Dagger and Perception.

The building manual for the normal kit is written by Eric Schade and is as good as any other manufacturers and he is very good about email questions and probably voice as well.

Good luck and have fun.
Pete czerpak
albany, NY