This is an archived message posted to the Kayak Building Bulletin Board. If you would like to ask a question about building kayaks, you can post a new message.
> Does anyone have experience with both of these boats? I am trying to
> decide which to build - I have paddled the Coho and liked it quite a bit.
> My concerns are stability, maneuverability, and carrying capacity. Having
> not paddled and AT (or actually seen a live one), I can use my brief
> experience with a Coho as a reference point. The major uses of the boat
> will be for 7-10 day camping trips and just playing in. Besides big water,
> I would like to take the boat into smaller streams on occasion, so the
> tighter turning of the AT might be an advantage. Any insights would be
> appreciated.
I hard a very hard time making the exact same choice when I built my first boat. I guessed and picked the Tern. In hindsight I think it was a good choice -- but still look at that photo of the Coho every once in a while.
The biggest advantage to the Tern may be the ability to handle waves. The higher capacity bow seems to take the waves and chop in Long Island Sound very well. This may or may not be an issue for you.
I would think that the biggest advantage to the Coho would be speed. The lower wetted surface area and longer water line should make this a faster boat.
You can read reviews of both boats by SeaKayaker Magazine if you havn't already.
The Tern kit may be slightly easier to build due to single chine.
But, just buy the one that looks better to you. You can't go wrong with eiter.
This is an archived message from The Kayak Building Bulletin Board.