That is a beauty in many ways. I do sort of agree with the guy who was razing about the mounted compass, but the finish is gorgeous.
I'd think some of that weight is from using aromatic Cedar. Denser wood. I'd consider it for accents, perhaps, but not the whole boat. I do like that color.
Also noticed that the proportions make it seem long, and if you follow some of the links to his instagram feed, you'll see that this is indeed a 20' hull. About 1.5x hull surface compared to a 16', assuming the draft is similar. Closer to 2x if the draft is deeper in proportion. Plus, probably a slightly beefier layup than standard 1x 6oz. If one removed to bronze accents, this is starting to sound like a believable weight for the hull, maybe a bit heavy, but not insanely so, especially if he built for use on larger, saltwater conditions.