Jeff, I received both of your books on Friday. Great weekend reading!! I've build several plywood boats but your SOF designs and techniques really excite me. I'm ready to build but need to narrow the choice down to one. Because of my size and physical abilities, I had all but chosen Vardo. Seems roomy. However, for my first boat, likely to be given to a smaller family member later, I was thinking about the shorter Curlew. My kayaking will be in local lakes and rivers in Middle Tennessee, as well as protected coastal bays and tributaries.
Here's he deal. I'm 5'8" and a thick 260 pounds. OK I'm fat. The knees and hips just aren't as flexible as they used to be, so bending like a pretzel to get into or out of a boat with a tight cockpit isn't fun. Based on this, what's a good choice? Are all of your coaming sizes the same (34")? By the way, it wouldn't offend me if you said I was too fat and to build the StoneFly or Messabout 15 instead. But I was really hoping for something that performed better than a recreational kayak. Thanks for the reply.