I'll echo Greg's questioning the definition of "the best." When I'm doing some river cleanup work for my local forest preserve, I'll take a 17 or 18 foot aluminum or Royalex boat any day, over a Merlin. On the other hand, if I was going solo, and wanted to put a lot of miles behind me quickly, while carrying a lot of gear, I'd take a Merlin over a Grumman or Royalex boat. Although, for that purpose, I'd much rather take my time, and enjoy a wooden canoe.