Zski - what weight load do you expect to have in the boat? I hear the Freedom 17' 9" is a bit slower than the 17. By the way, from a previous post of your, the Winisk in my opinion has no tracking problems unloaded. I paddle it solo all the time. It is a big boat though so can be blown around in wind when empty. It also has more rocker than a lot of boat that size so the bow is not as sticky as some, but I think that is a big plus. Way more sea worthy and maneuverable in waves. Now the Freedom 17 is a pretty darn good boat as well and lots of guys use it for tripping. So if you haven't picked one yet, depending on your load, I would look at both those hulls, maybe also the Kipawa.

Moonman.