I'm thinking of building a stripper, probably an Oystercatcher. I've built two stitch and glue boats, and am not sure what to do with my evenings this winter. My question is on the cedar. A lot of kits seem to use shorter lengths, while Eric Shade recommends 18 foot lengths. Any thoughts as to the pros and cons of both. Also, what about grain. I'm assuming that I want a clear vs tight grain. And finally, I'm going to build another paddle. I've built my past paddles from cedar but am loking at either spruce, or perhaps cedar with some hardwood laminates (red cedar with maple maybe). Any advice? Living in the Northwest, finding the wood isn't a problem.