I built a Pygmy Coho a sea kayak made out of African mahogany that was straight forward stitch and glue. Now repairing a cedar and canvas Old Town is much more labor intensive.
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https://columbia.craigslist.org/boa/d/gilbert-wilderness-systems-cape-horn-15/7278511280.html
Decent higher-volume older touring kayak $300. In case youāre interested. 
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Looks like a deal.
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The boat search is eternal and evolves with life and need. I grew up with a 16-foot wood and canvas Old Town that was our family canoe and then passed to me when it became too much for my father to maintain. I loved that boat because of the memories it held and, when maintained, was truly a beautiful boat. But it was too much work to maintain properly and it was too heavy to move easily, so I sold it and bought a used Old Town Stillwater. Much lighter, sits outside patiently and requires zero maintenance. Eventually I want something that will sit on a trailer and support a small outboard. I figure itās a lot easier and cheaper to trade boats than wives.
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None, but I had some advantages. I got into sea kayaking at a time and in a place where it was easy to find a great beginner class (learned what to look for in a kayak as well as how to paddle one) and easy to rent and/or demo a variety of models.
I grew up on the NC coast. Boats of some sort my whole life. Little skiffs to larger sailboats, surfboards, SUP, canoes and kayaks. Now my canoe interest has kicked up again with a zest. I always want the next canoe. I have my first a Old Town Laker 14, never seen another. Mad River Explorer that i bought as the shell, almost finished, and a Wenonah Argosy that I made a terrible trade for giving up my mint Advantage. The Advantage I just had a lust for, faster than a speeding bullet even in the hands of a rank amateur. The Advantage was unwilling to turn in my hands, the Argosy is lively and a little unpredictable but we manage and it actually fits my needs better. My next boat will be a solo I think. I always want the next boatā¦
Donāt we all. I have 3 kayaks on the rack and one new in the garage Iāve never paddled. Then I thought about taking our 60# puppy with me. Obviously, I need a canoe!
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In 1958 my Dad took us to Maine to camp for 2 weeks in the area around Rangeley Lakes. We rented an aluminum boat with an outboard to fish out of. One day we motored past a dock with a wood and canvas OT canoe for sale. It was in good shape and they wanted $40. My Dad wanted to buy it but we had no roof rack for the 600 miles trip in the 1957 Mercury.
My Dad has never stopped talking about that beautiful green canoe. Twenty five years ago I found an OT Guide 18. I patched it up and have paddled it every where. Lots of rivers. Sure it is old, heavy and an antique. But I could not sell it. I just bought a trailer for it a long time ago and try to never portage it. The hide is off and I am repairing it now. It doesnāt even matter if I never paddle it again. It doesnāt matter if I ever finish repairing it. Every time I look at it I see my Dad 62 years ago. Dad is now 96 and recuperating from a broken hip. I can still perk him up by mentioning the green Old Town on the dock in Maine in 1958.
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Thank you for that beautiful imagery @ppine We rarely know in the moment how seemingly fleeting events can have such a powerful impact.
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I have my eight and ninth kayaks in my garage, mostly likely I have the boat I need for the conditions we have where I live. I was happy with the Epic V5 I had, until my paddling buddy got a V7! He was so much faster, well, I could not have that.
All the boats Iāve had were the āright boatā at that time. Began with easy boats, broke three on our rocky seasonal rivers. Had a LL Coupe, that was fun when the smaller rivers were running. Got a Pungo 120 for free and beat the heck out that boat, sank it a few times, that was the wrong boat! I wanted to try a sit in and for that end it worked.
The smaller rivers have not run in a few years now. My little group started going down the San Marcos and seeing racers in long skinny boats. Soon there were three Epics in the group. I tend to be cheap and spending the money for the V7 was tough, but now Iām glad I bought it.
Iām the wrong man,
for all the right boats.
If I should ever get self righteous
I would be paddling in wrong boat.
So immersed in my inversions,
setting right no wrongs Iāve done,
perhaps Iāll go on paddling self
till right at last I find wrong one.
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some people spend thousa! nds buying and selling to get a kayak for them.
well i bought 1 and will never sell it it is the right boat straight off the bat for me
it is based on the shoreline see pic with discriptionā¦
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Nice boat. I demoed a North Shore Atlantic LV and liked it, but didnāt like the weight so I passed.
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Never say always, esp. when youāre young.
Iām glad you really like your boat.
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I had a Northshore Calypso, before Valley took over. A similar colour scheme to your Fuego. It was a nice kayak, but a little heavy for this older gentleman.
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Gentleman? Iāve heard about those .
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Iāve been holding off commenting because I think that PaddleDog52 got it right for me back on Feb 10 when he said āNo such thing the search never endsā. Now Iām not the guy with a huge quiver of boats but I could be if I had the space. I donāt so Iām not and, honestly, I doubt that it would suit me if I had a boat for every occasion.
I have two boats and have come to the point to where I like that number. I can accommodate two boats right now. I have my Tempest 170Pro for long trips because I can carry a monthās worth of gear below deck and, though it is a truck, itās a good solid truck for that purpose. Not perfect, but solid and suitable.
My everyday boat is a Sterling Progression and it suits my everyday needs pretty well. Not perfect but pretty darn close. Iām hanging on to itā¦ā¦ā¦for now.
The thing is for me is that over the years Iāve continued to evolve as a paddler and have come to believe that there is no perfect boat. There is no design that is perfect for everything that I might be doing or working on learning. We all evolve, I think, or maybe thatās just a euphemism that I use to incorrectly describe my shortcomings in skills as a kayaker. Let it be said that āJon has lots of room for evolvmentā.
And it isnāt just skills development or style / discipline that drives the need to change boats (or collect another one). As arthritis continues to take a toll on my knees I find it more difficult to exit a standard sized cockpit. Bummer, that. So what to do? I want a boat with a longer cockpit, that carries a metric butt-load of gear but handles like my Progression. Hummmmmmmmmmā¦ā¦.Maybe sell the Tempest and the Progression and have a Grand Illusion built.
It might be āperfectā for a while.
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Or look at a combination SOT/ SKI like the Stellar S14S. I just got one because of a bad leg and back.
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I wouldnāt want to tour in a SOT/SKI. Fun to paddle but wouldnāt really suit my purposes, though it could come to that eventually.
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the fuego is about 22kg composite.
iām 52 this year so unless somthing happens to mine it is a stayer iām not buying another 