: My 8 year old daughter is having a great deal of fun "helping" me
: finish a Spring Run. And, being a good Dad, I'm contemplating whether to
: try my hand at building a smaller kayak for her once the Spring Run is
: finished.

: Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much out there as far as plans for
: cedar strip kayaks for smaller paddlers -- so far I've found: * Nick has
: plans for a Little Auk on this website - but at 28" beam I'm
: wondering if this would be too wide for a younger kid.
: * Pygmy has stich and glue kayaks in smaller sizes
: * Glen-L has a Kidiyak, but it almost seems as if it is meant for a very
: small child.
: * [gasp] get a cheap plastic rotomolded kayak at Costco or the like.

: Can anyone share what they might have done for kayaks for their kids?

: At this point, my thinking is running more toward getting a Pygmy kit -- I'm
: a bit hesitant to spend the hundred + hours doing a stripper, only to have
: her outgrow it in a few years (or have to cringe if she drags it over
: barnacle beds). While I hesitate to blaspheme and mention a cheap plastic
: boat on this forum, it would have the benefits of being relatively
: inexpensive, and likely able to take the abuse that kids tend to dish out
: on their stuff. The boat would be used in a protected bay in the South
: Puget Sound area with very flat water.

: And, my thanks to all of you for letting me lurk and read your posts -- I've
: learned quite a bit, and am truly enjoying building my Spring Run.

: Dave McCone

Hi Dave,

I'm in a similar boat. My 9 and 11 year old have been itching to get a boat like dad's and I'd love to be able to go out on a family expedition. I've pretty much ruled out a mini stripper for the same reasons you stated - they'd probably outgrow it before I finished. Other options I've entertained are a Pygmy Goldeneye and yes, a Perception Umiak (plastic). There's a big, wide river near our home that gets pretty shallow and rocky in mid-summer. I'd like them to be able to go out and knock it around without having to worry.
To complete the fleet, I'd eventually like a Guilemot Double and an Expedition Single to allow the 4 of us to make some overnighters.

Jim