The Mill Creek 16.5 Hybrid differs from the original in that a cedar-strip deck is substituted for the standard okoume plywood deck.  It's a "hybrid" because it combines a stitch-and-glue hull with a cedar-strip deck.
 

We've been seeing Mill Creeks with cedar strip decks for years as skilled builders made the substitution.  We've always admired the results, and when our colleague John Peck built a Mill Creek 16.5 this way himself, we digitized the patterns for the deck molds and made the "hybrid" option available to everyone.

The Mill Creek Hybrid’s hull is identical to the standard Mill Creek’s, with computer-cut BS 1088 Okoume panels that go together very quickly.  Computer-cut molds are set into the hull with temporary hot glue.  These molds shape and support the deck during construction.  With the kit we include a mixture of dark and medium color western red cedar strips, plus white cedar strips for light accents.  The strips are milled with a “bead and cove” joint so that one slides into the next for perfect joinery.  While we offer suggested patterns, each builder can develop their own unique strip deck design as they assemble their kit.  Run riot with your creativity!  Almost anything is possible.  Parquet decks, anyone?

The Mill Creek 16.5 Hybrid is a little more challenging to build than the standard model but will reward the patient builder with a unique heirloom kayak.  

Both Mill Creek 16.5 models share the same enormously versatile hull and cockpit. Not only can you paddle it as a single or a double, but you can sail it or even add a sliding seat unit to create an ocean shell. The Mill Creek 16.5's stability will reassure the most nervous paddlers, while the low freeboard and light weight yield better speed and handling in wind than the average canoe. There's enough capacity for camping gear (with optional deck hatches), and the boat can be easily trimmed by sliding the standard seats fore and aft on their mounts.

See Assembling a Mill Creek for a series of images showing how to build the standard Mill Creek.