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Wow, what a great experience. I ordered the Murrelet with the more maneuverable hull and larger cockpit, it arrived very quickly to Iowa and I began putting it together. The instructions are very clear and easy to follow, I did have a couple questions along the way and the folks at Pygmy were very eager and quick to answer them. Construction was so much fun I want to build another!

Ok now it's built... I've had it on the water a few times and here is what I know... I am a 6'1" 190 lbs male with a size 10.5 shoe.

Pros:
- very fast, I have had it to 7 MPH according to my GPS (in a very short hard paddling burst) and an average relaxed cruising speed of 4.5 MPH
- Handles wind and waves with ease, I have had it out on lakes with a 20mph wind and up to about 1' rollers (mild conditions for what this boat is designed for) and it kept cutting through the water like it was nothing.
- secondary stability is quite good which makes edging for turns very easy
- After building your own boat, you know for sure how to repair it.
- compared to my usual gear carrying method (backpacking) the hatches are huge and hold lots of gear.
- Everyone admires your beautiful wooden boat (or is this a con because it takes longer to launch?)
- It seems to like going into the wind better that with the wind, which is great since with the wind I can stop paddling and keep going that way.
- it is very light, mine is a bit heavier than the advertised, but then again it is my first build. Right at 40 lbs.

Neutral:
- The seat is a thermorest trail seat, which is surprisingly comfortable, I have had an issue with my feet going to sleep in long paddles but I believe that to be my footwear with the angle my feet are in the boat. I am making some adjustments there and it seems to help.
- I am used to recreational boats and the primary stability takes some getting used to... but makes paddling more fun!
- shaping knee braces takes some practice, and lots of iterations. I think I finally have them close now, but with every change they get more comfortable.

Cons:
- The larger cockpit opening is nice making entry and exit easier for my long legs, but it also puts the forward deck rigging a long ways away.
- the hatches use a compression system to hold them closed and water tight, this is nice but does allow for small leaks. It isn't a problem since all the gear is in dry bags anyway, but I had to find some cons.
- after you spend all this time making a beautiful boat, you come up on a sand/ rock shore and think "I can swim it in" because you don't want to scratch the bottom... supposedly this passes but I have only wanted to land it on clean sand beaches so far.
- not overly roomy for your feet. My size 10.5's don't fit with anything but neoprene paddle boots on, but are plenty roomy with those or barefoot.

Overall I would recommend Pygmy and/ or this boat to anyone.