> 1. George may be hard to deal with, but, he is entirely correct in his
> engineering assements. If anyone believes that slapping together cedar
> stips or plywood with epoxy in your garage is the most efficient way to
> build a kayak then you are mistaken. I'm not so sure I would trust my boat
> in a true wilderness expedition.

After a few years of use you will be amazed at what abuse (imposed by accidents) that boat will endure. These little unplanned structural tests are inspirational. Trust will grow greater with each passing year. (In that regard it is kinda like a bass I caught, which gets larger each time I mention it) Eventually you may even convince yourself that the overbuilding was worth it, and that your boat is made of iron.

The most efficient way to build a kayak is of course to follow the procedures of the aboriginal inventors, and use such recyclable and indigestible materials as skins and bones from large marine mammals. The ribs on those boats probably served as ribs, and maybe a few meals, before then. You can't beat that for efficiency. And spare parts are readily available during a wilderness trip, frequently coming with lunch.

If any of these ancient craftsmen had the 'advantage' of modern testing equipment they probably would not have built these boats. Even without those tools they were aware of definite limitations. The skins have irregular thickness, the sinews and thongs stretch when wet, and the whole thing stinks once the weather gets warm.

> 2. However, Darrell is also correct (in my judgement) in that as long as
> the boat is reasonably safe, used responsibly, and you are enjoying the
> experience then have fun!

Right on!

> Strip building seems to me to be more of an art than an exersice in
> efficient engineering.

It can indeed be raised to an art form, but I've often thought of it as a simple extension of a 3-dimensional line drawing. Instead of constructing a `wire frame' model on a computer's CAD screen, we construct a wooden strip model -- full size. Building with strips is about as basic a technique as you can imagine. It certainly is an exercise in 3-D modeling, and sas it can be used to prepare engineering models, I`ll put in my vote that it just MIGHT be an exercise in efficient engineering. From a historical perspective, it is a low-tech precursor to the age of cursors.

> p.s. I promise never to comment on this subject again.

Nonsense.

I refuse to hold you to this promise, and I trust the majority of other readers and contributors to this arena share my opinion. Your comments are lucid and insightful.

You have a place here, and so do your thoughts and comments. Your offer to stay silent is uncharitable. Some of us would like to hear more from you.

In that regard, I urge you to reconsider your extreme position. Please feel free to make such comments in the future. It is primarily through the discourse of varied and diverse individuals who share their comments that the others here can gain knowledge.

Just a few thoughts

Paul G. Jacobson