: If a book that gives instructions and adequate, if minimum, plans for THREE
: boats isn't a good deal at $19.95, then I don't know what is. At $6.67 for
: Cape Charles plans maybe you should expect to scratch your head a little
: and figure out a few things yourself. I've said this before and I'll say
: it again here--Boatbuilding is about solving problems. That's part of the
: challenge and part of the enjoyment. If the $6.67 plans are not complete
: enough, go for the full set at $50-$75. If you need more than that buy the
: kit; you're still going to ask youself questions every day you work on the
: boat. It's the answers to all those questions that makes you appreciate
: the finished boat as much as you do.

: Only a slight tangent--
: The whole process of lofting a hull from a table of offsets is designed to
: catch the designers errors, because there are always SOME. It's the
: boatbuilders art to spot the unfair line and correct it.

: As you might guess I feel strongly about this topic. It always irks me when
: someone blasts one of the kit manufacturers because they bought a kit and
: a panel was cut backwards or the deck beam was for a different boat. In
: 99% of the cases they wound up getting the right part shipped to them as
: soon as they called about the error. We've got a lot of first-class people
: in this, both as businessmen and hobbiests.

I am a Johnny come lately to this hobby and I have to say I have felt somewhat guilty because I have picked everyone's brain, used Nick's Kayak board and didn't buy plans or a book from anyone. I'm not that cheap, but in the beginning I had no idea wheather I was serious about building a stripper and there weren't many designs around in the 12' range, at least that I knew of. So I just started with a first little step using scraps I had around the house, knowing I could stop anytime, and then a next step, and a next, until I was hooked. I owe a lot to everyone on this board. Thanks.

John