> In doing random searches looking for a stitch and glue kayak design i
> occasionally run accross plans for a "decked canoe". Excuse my
> ignorance but what is the difference between a decked canoe and a kayak?
> Where i come from a skunk called a polecat still stinks to high heaven.
> :)~

In the late 1800's, decked canoes were very popular. They were beamier...around 27", than a kayak and had a higher sheer. J. Henry Rushton had a very succesful canoe building business up in New York (I think??). these boats were commonly set up for sailing also, and made very good sailing vessels. There were a lot of decked sailing canoes in this same era. W.P. Stephens was another desinger of decked sailing caones. The Englishman, John Macgregor was perhaps the man who really gave popularity to the decked canoe. I don't know the story...but having been introduced to kayaks, he developed a "decked canoe" which was planked up to be lightweight yet strong, small enough to easily portage yet big enough for camping gear. It was rigged for sail, with the sails and spars being small enough to stow. He did do some adventuring in his "Rob Roy" canoe, and wrote a few stories...some are available on-line....A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy canoe. anyway....