Mitch,
Here is a link to a test of the Little Wing 18 in a Norwegian magazine: http://www.scandickajakk.com. During the test they found the top speed was 7 knots and the cruising speed was 4.8 knots. I paddle a Little Wing 12.5, and I would agree with your comments that. "it seems to have just made the boat more stable while maintaining good speed and not really have reduced drag... looks really nice though..". The 36-Lb weight is not bad either for an 18-footer. I would agree that there may be better boats for your purposes.

the QCC 700x can really move, and haul a ton. Seats are junk though

Mitch, that business about the NC Expedition having a starting "passenger" weight of 190 lbs. has me baffled. I don't weigh that much--even with my clothes on. But I don't carry any passengers along if I can help it.

Saying that a boat has nothing but size (length) to suggest that it might be fast is like saying that a car with a 500 hp engine has little else to suggest that it might be fast. Of course there are many other design factors involved in determining a boats potential velocity. If you ever get a chance to look at the hull design on an NC, you will see why they are fast.

If ultimate top speed were the only criteria for a proper kayak, I guess anyone could design a good one. My preference is for a boat that is fast, comfortable, seaworthy, stable, dry, tracks, and isn't much affected by wind and current. Oh, and is light enough to carry on my shoulder, beautiful in design and workmanship....

There I go again. I just can't help it.

mitch, while almost all the the info on NC's website is very specific and quite accurate, the part about paddlers needing to be 190 to 350 pounds for the Expedition is something they need to modify. There is nothing about the boat that requires one to be of any particular weight. It would be hard to imagine a very small person selecting a boat the size of the Expedition, but it would also be hard for me to contemplate a 6'-6", 350 pounder trying to stuff him, or herself into an Expedition.

If you could have been with me yesterday, I think I could have sold you on why I believe the NC Expedition is without doubt, the boat to have if you are serious about sea kayaking. The wind was pretty strong and the tide was running straight out into the wind. The waves were steep and breaking. I left shore without putting my skirt on, which wasn't too bright, but even without it, I stayed dry.

I ducked into a marina and put my skirt on and then went back out there. For a while I thought it prudent to keep the bow into the wind, but pretty soon I turned around and went surfing. Later, after a little shore break, I decided to go ahead and cross the river to the other side. That meant that I had to expose my beam to those waves. The boat couldn't have cared less; it didn't matter how big the waves got, at no point did I have to even deploy a brace. On the way back across the monster waves, I angled slightly away from the wind. That put the waves on my rear quarter. This for sure is asking for a broach. The boat just flew throught the waves like it was in a race. It never offered a hint of a broach.

I've had the boat in big wave before, but this time I kind of just went for it and didn't even bother to try to be careful. I even purposely just let the boat drift beam to the waves to see what would happen. I think I could have hunkered down in the cockpit and taken a nap. I probably won't purposely put myself into those conitions again, but I'm glad to know that if things deteriorate, the Expedition will get me home safe.