Mike:

I have built a canoe from Gil Gilpatrick's book (The Laker) then built two kayaks the CLC Chesapeake 16LT and Cape Charles.

The kayaks are great for big water and waves, but for what you have described, I agree, build the Wee Lassie from Mac's book.

I just finished bead and cove (ing) 50 board feet of Sassafras at .156 thickness. It should be enough to build several projects beyond the Wee Lassie from Mac's book.

My daughter (age 12) loves the kayak but is a little shaky with the cockpit. She feels much more comforatable with an open style like the Wee Lassie, yet she still has the independance of paddling her own watercraft.

If you have any woodworking skills at all and have enough room as well as tools (band saw or table saw and a router are the only electric tools you need) you will be many $ ahead by going with the plans from the book or buying the full sized plans from Mac.

Whatever you do, there is a lot of excellent advice available on this site.

> Mike, I built Mac McCarthy's Wee Lassie and it is a great boat for all
> ages. My wife weighs 120#, I weigh 215# and we both paddle it! The book
> Featherweight Boatbuilding is all you need. The plans and instructions are
> in this book for about $20. I bought a router and the bits to make cove
> and bead. I already had a table saw. In one sat. morn I milled enough
> strips for 2 boats. The beauty of this design is it is not limited to very
> small people who will out grow their small kayak. It's small and stores
> easy and weighs 20#, easy carry for all.

> Larry C.