: I too am interested in building a SOF, and after reading several books on the
: subject, am seriously considering using the Morris book for building
: details. Is your boat finished, and what did you use for the skin?

I'm still working on the frame. I'll be skinning it with the 13 ounce polyester the Dyson sells to Bill Low for his Willow boats. VERY tough stuff, but expensive ($6.00/ft.).

: What final weight did you arrive at?

Don't know yet, but it should be between 35 and 40 pounds, since I'm using yellow pine for the gunwales and ash for the ribs, both of which are pretty heavy.

: Is it really as simple as it sounds to
: extrapolate stuff like the stems by using the book?

I'll let you know after tonight, as I'll be starting the stems. Most of the boat is built by eye, so the stems appear to be primarily a question of producing a pleasing shape, then fitting it to the frame.

: I am in the throes of that terrible addiction for building boats. I made a
: stitch and glue and a stripper and now the pangs are gnawing at me for
: building another type of boat this winter.

I really want to do a stich and glue boat and a stripper, but finding the time has been difficult. SOF's build much faster, so I eventually went that way. I WILL build at least one wood boat over the winter.

: Big problem with this
: boatbuilding is what to do with the first boat when you are running out of
: storage room. It's like trying to decide what to do with extra children.
: I'll keep my Redfish Spring Run for sure, but does anyone want to buy a
: very nice Chesapeake 17 so that I can fill up the house with more boats?

I fully expect to have to build a "kayak garage" on the side of the house. I'm planning to make it big enough to house 6-7 boats, plus a folding trailer, lawn mower, snowblower, etc. Either that, or I'll build a rack in the unused bay of my girlfriend's garage. Shhhh, don't anyone tell her...