: I'm am planning to build a 16 +/- hard-chine touring kayak.

I never built from a kit or fullsize plans and always have had good outcomes. I always worry that unless fullsize plans are drawn on something stable like mylar, errors will creep in as the paper plans react with moisture in the air. While the suggestion about using a fabric tracing wheel is valid the proper method for transferring the pattern is to use a pounce bag to dust the perforated line with chaulk.

I usually loft the panels fullsize on my shop floor and lay six penny nails so the heads are on the line I'm taking up. I then place the ply on the floor and walk on it. Connect the nail head impressions with a batten and cut. I've got a good jig saw, but I find I can get more accurate cuts with a circular saw. I then trim to line with a power hand plan.

Of course, once you have one panel cut you've got the pattern for the other side. Just keep in mind which is the finish side if your ply has good and bad sides. If I think I may want to build another of the same model I'll make up luan templates of the panels (you'll only need one half of the bottom). Often I'll make up the bottom half template in any case to assure the finished bottom is symmetrical. To do this I snap the hull's centerline on the work piece, line up the template and trace the cutline for one side of the bottom. Then I flip the pattern over and repeat the process for the other side.

I'm biased, but a kit is a little like love making without the foreplay.