Submitted: 01-12-2001 by jms
I use this medium-volume boat for day-boating on river, creeks, and lakes, fishing in lagoons, the Atlantic, and the Gulf, and camping. Last year I took it for 8 days in the 10,000 island, starting the trip with 60 pounds of water. It performed superbly.If carefully loaded, the boat has a minimal tendency to weathercock. It tracks strongly and has a tendency to broach in following quartering seas. It cuts nicely through head-on seas with a medium-volume bow that lifts sufficiently but not so much to cause pitching.
It responds well to edged turns, but not as crisply as a Chesapeake 17. The boat is an excellent cruiser for all-day 3.5 knots loaded. I am building my wife an Arctic Tern 14. She has been using my Arctic Tern 17 while I used a Chesapeake 17. The Arctic Tern 17 is a little too much boat for her, at 5'5", 125 pounds. It fits me well at 5'9", 160 pounds. |