Brett,
Get a'hold of yourself son! I'm not allowed to do ANYTHING until the basement is finished. Sheetrock this weekend, I promise Dear. Maybe my daughter would like to learn how to tape. Hey, here's a chance to get those 3M fairing boards!

I too have been "researching" SoF. Damn clever those Aleuts and Inuits. I'd suggest Canadian Dave Zimmerly's ArticKayak site, downloadable drawings and all. Then there's the eye candy even she who must be obeyed can't get too upset over on Harvey Golden's site. http://home.pacifier.com/~qayaq/ I found my way to Golden's site via the Ultimate Directory of Kayak Links: Native Craft. http://home.adelphia.net/~kwinter/native.hmtl

As for dacron Nick has a link somewhere, but it I can't find it, check out
www.imaginelan.com/aleut/./polyester_skinning.html If it's still there. If not, I downloaded all the pics and text and can send it to you on a CD. I'm a big spender, 30 cents for the CD 34 for the stamp. Pretty much a step-by-step of the use of dacron filter cloth to cover a frame.

It occurred to me that a lot of early aircraft were built like these native craft. Even with exotic modern tools and materials it'll be hard to beat the performance per pound these native designers were able to pull off with drift wood, stone and bone tools. Petrographs found in Australia imply we've been building watercraft for at least 60,000 years. So it would seem that the SoF designs known to us have had a pretty long design process.
Keep Dreamin'
Geo. C.