I'd like the length, but don't particularly need the volume. I'd be willing to consider 16 feet, but want a good bit of waterline(more than my RomanyLV).

This may make me sound ignorant, but I see many smaller sized paddlers in boats approaching 18 feet all the time and their boats fit them splendidly. Granted, they are fiberglass or kevlar construction...Is this simply a foolish undertaking for me? I'd like to build a boat, but there's really little reason to build one that I won't use and I really don't want to build a rec length boat. Appreciate all the input. I had no idea I was beginning with such a vexing problem.

: Okay, this is going to sound rude, especially through text, but that boat is
: simply going to be too big for you unless you plan on piling a ton of gear
: into it.

: I'm 6'1 and 165-170 and my 17 1/2 foot boat is just about perfect for me.
: Even if you modify the boat to fit you better, you're not really going to
: gain much from the added length.

: That said, if you decide you absolutely have to have the length and volume,
: you can easily modify these to fit you better in the cockpit, even if not
: elsewhere. You could take one of the designs and scale it down to 95% or
: something like that, but you'd have to build from scratch to do that.

: The best part about these boats is the ability to make slight mods with
: drastic effect. You can lower the coaming at the foredeck half or three
: quarters of an inch and that will make a big difference in the feel of the
: cockpit. You can do the same in the rear to help keep a consistent look or
: if that's less important, just flatten the whole thing out a little.

: There are lots of ways to outfit the boat to fit it a little more suitably as
: well. Once you decide on a boat, perhaps a sheerwater 17 or a arctic hawk
: (roughly 17' I believe) would be good options. I've paddled both and liked
: them very much. Again, I think they'll still be a little big but both can
: be tweaked.

: FrankP