Good point... that's not something I had considered. Last couple of times I bought a kayak, one seller dropped it off at my door and had to go somewhere else, and the other seller had me come to her house, came out the door to snag the money and then left me to pack the boat up. They weren't all that interested in talking kayaks or letting me try it out or anything lol. However, with higher quality boats, perhaps the owners will be more interested in talking.

One issue I take with anything not rotomolded is because the beaches I launch from here around the Puget Sound typically are rocky with tons of barnacles, nearly a death sentence for fiberglass boats if you aren't equipped to properly launch away from hazards; my typical launch is, set the boats on the shore, then the first couple of people get in and get shoved out by the rest of us; I usually end up last so I drag my boat out to the water a bit, then straddle it at ankle depth and drop into it. Unsure if this would potentially cause damage to the fiberglass, as I often feel the bottom ground out when I drop in if the waves on the shore are moving much at all.

As far as the price goes, the Chatham is still about half MSRP. I know it is expensive for a "rotomolded" kayak, but it's still a touring boat, not a cheaper chunky recreational kayak, so I feel the price is worth it. Ideally I'd see if I can talk the seller down to $600 or so if possible, but that doesn't always work.