Cirrus

I finished mine in 2013 with a 3 month build time and been paddling it ever since. Using 1/4 inch Lauan plywood for stitch and glue construction, the finished weight came out to 70 lbs as I used "plenty" of fiberglass. A skeg was not installed as my knowledge of kayaks and weather cocking was non-existent. It will weather cock quite a lot without a skeg in 20-30 mph winds. After installing a temporary skeg, problem solved. I have much smaller plastic kayaks and they weather cock as well. I believe all kayaks and other boats will weather cock too so it's just a minor issue once you see how a skeg takes care of it. It tracks very well. Takes quite a lot of effort to turn it but nothing major. This is a touring kayak. That means that it is made to cover long distances rather quickly. My top speed in this is 5 mph max but I can cruise at 3.5-4 mph rather easily for 2-3 hours. Hatches were just installed this year and is going to be my multiple overnight hauler for camping on the Buffalo River in Arkansas. This thing will carry everything a need for 5 day trips easily. It handled the intercostal waters in Wilmington, NC and South Padre, TX. Winds of 20-30 mph in South Padre during January thru March were no match for the kayak on 16 mile trips. I wanted a fast kayak and it is that. No one runs off and leaves me in this boat. In fact, just the opposite happens, lol. This was my first experience with boatbuilding and fiberglass.This was an easy build and trust me, the fiberglass was easy and fun! It doesn't matter what kind of wood or plywood you use because it will be sealed up in epoxy. Originally, I planned on using 1/8 inch plywood but scraped that due to difficulty doing a scarf joint. It was just too thin for my skills but the 1/4 inch worked well. The full size plans made construction a breeze. You just need at least 20ft long area for the build. Epoxy will be your biggest expense.

The Cirrus is a stitch-and-glue kayak that is built from plans. There are two deck options when you purchase the plans: 1. A stitch and glue deck, or 2. A woodstrip deck. No kits were available as of the time of this review. Normally I would prefer to get more time in a boat before reviewing it, but since several people have asked about this boat and there are no other reviews, I'm going to write up my initial impressions.

The boat handles well for me (at 240 lbs) in a range of conditions. I've paddled it in dead calm, a light breeze (5-10 mph), and in 20-25 mph winds with closely spaced 12-18" waves. Initial stability was good. Secondary stability was very strong. The boat tracked well in all conditions, but not so strongly that it was a chore to maneuver. In 20 to 25 mph winds it showed just the barest hint of an inclination to weathercock. This was hardly noticeable and was easily corrected with slight edging or an occasional sweep stroke. The boat was comfortable in winds from all directions and in waves from all directions. Moderate course corrections were easily made with a sweep stroke or mild edging. Strong edging and a brace bring the boat around quite quickly. Cockpit size is generous. I have not checked my speeds with a GPS, but the boat moves along at a comfortable pace with minimal paddler effort.