I built a strip canoe, my fist boat, following Gil Gilpatrick's book "Building a Strip Canoe". The book is less than $11 through Amazon and has plans for half a dozen different canoes.

His designs do not have stems, which doesn't bother me any. The changes I would make from his advice is: 1- don't use water putty to fill knot holes and gaps, It doesn't match the wood unless you dye it. 2- I would use bead and cove on the strips. 3- Cut out any knots that have any holes or cracks, not just the ones that break when bent. If you doe the last two you won't need to worry about the first.

Also read the Builders' Notes at Green Valley:

http://www.greenval.com/builders_notes.html

Good Luck, Dave