: I'm going to assume that you are planning to use this software for your
: second or third boat--because I don't think it would be a good idea to use
: it for your first boat.

: Building your first boat you'll have a bunch of problems to solve, but if you
: are building from an existing design you'll be able to find plenty of
: people here who have built that design, or one very similar to it.

: Otherwise, you risk becoming one of the many people who start to build a
: boat, and don't finish it.

Thanks for the concern, but no. The software is just because I am a little bit of a computer geek and would love to play with it more than anything. The next boat(s) will be my 2nd and 3rd. I am going to build two at the same time. And not finishing it? I know you don't know me, but I am known for how fast I get my projects done. Not for not finishing them.

I am a avid woodworker. Last two years have been spent restoring old machines more than woodworking. Finally have my (new) shop almost equipped. I am finally back to building again. Most recent has been some furniture for our house and some stuff for the family. But now it's time of me. The kayaks.

I have settled on (FINALLY) a Cape Charles for myself. (Then I will build something more sporting) I will probably built the Chesapeake for my Niece. We have not decided on her boat yet. I would love to recreate the Cape Charles in some software. I have not gotten much response to my questions on it but it seems the deck is higher than I want. So I would like to play with it in software rather than just guess at the changes. The only thing I want to change is the deck, nothing below the water line. May just build it with a strip deck.

I was a mechanical designer in a previous life and I can easily sit down and draw it on paper. That takes to much time and I don't have any troulbe visualize it, thats easy for me. So I will probably just do it that way. Stitch it up and if doesn't look right. Do it again. I may just use luan/door skins to mock up the sides and then when I am happy with it replace the side panels with real ply.

I know I don't know near enough to try to design my own boat. It would probably be a disaster. I bet it would look good but......

If your curious the link is to my web site. You can see some of the old machines I restored and some of the furniture I made for our house. I have one more peice in the shop and then it time to build kayaks!