Gui,

I have only paddled the Arctic Hawk at CLC demos, but I found it quite similar to the Shearwater 17 in terms of stability.  they both take a little getting used to, but comfort comes quite quickly.  they are both definitely less stable (more tippy) than the Chesapeake series, but much more stable than say the Night Herons.  Building a boat a bit beyond your comfort zone is not a bad idea as it gives you a bit of a challenge.  The best bet however is to take a demo ride before you buy.

Good luck,

Paul G.

I'm also considering the Arctic Hawk for my first build and would appreciate some feedback from anyone who has built one and/or paddled it.  Thanks for the review PAG.  

I won't have an oportunity to test paddle so I have to rely on comments and CLC site info & specs.

I'm confident in my building skills, but with a 2 month vacation in the States I just hope I can finish the build and get a shakedown cruise in before LOML and I have to return home to Ukraine.

TIA,

Tim

Tim,

I hope you will be able to finish in time too.  The thing that slows you down is waiting for epoxy to cure, but it will cure pretty fast in the summer.  I know they build boats in a week or two at the CLC classes (not finished, but everything up to that point, including epoxy) so you ought to be able to do it. 

Good luck!

Thanks for the reply DD.

Wish I could go to a class.  I'm really curious about what part of the AH build requires the patience they talk about.  What makes this one a longer build than say the Shearwater, which I have no doubt I could complete in plenty of time.

If push comes to shove I can just do a SW for the first boat then think about the next one for 2014.  His n Hers Shearwaters sounds ok too.