Paul:

I got swept away by my own enthusiasm as a father and as a boatbuilder. I have MUCH more experience as a dad and my post reflected that. I am only halfway through my first kayak now, a Guillemot Expedition Single, and when I read my response to your question, it sounded really preachy to me.

That was *not* my intention, I was really only staying in the bounds of my own experience. I practically ignored your request for design advice, but that's because I only know one (or one half) of one technique: strip-built. I will say, that SB has the advantages of many (many) smaller steps, with correspondingly smaller consequences for failure. That was an important factor in my design choice, and it fits well with getting help from my boys. Small steps, small mistakes, not a problem. Beyond that, I have only read about different methods and designs.

TIA for letting me clarify myself.

Ed Valley