: OK OK.....you've all convinced me....strip it is. I will make an attempt to
: mill my own wood. From what I have investigated, it seems I will be
: spending up to $100 on a decent set of plans, correct?? and lastly is
: there a book that someone could reccomend for milling the wood (cove
: dimensions, blade and bit reccomendations...etc.)......and what kind of
: wood, is Home Cheapo cedar OK?

: Again, your advice is greatly appreciated.....I was planning on dropping $600
: on a S&G kit, not it seems I've been convinced to rev up the saw and build
: one from scratch....I can tell this will be challenging.

You may actually spend less on a cedar strip kayak than $600. With careful shopping you may be able to build two for that price. Lots of money saving tips in the archives.

Take a look at David Hazen's book on strip built canoes and kayaks. you cna search for it on Amazon. For the price (about $20) you not only get good details on the whold construction process, including details on ripping the strips, but you also get full size plans for two kayak models, and instructions on how to modify these.

Don't feel compelled to build from these designs just because they came for free. check out ads and websites. Find the size and shape of boat that suits your size and shape. Having Hazen's plans on hand gives you some idea of what you'll see in a set of plans, and gives you some experience in interpreting them, which might be useful knowledge when you are shopping for other plans.

Or, you could build one of his boats and save a bundle

There are a few other sources for free offsets, which are the numbers that are graphed ( or "lofted" as the process is called) to create building plans. You can find offsets for at least one model in almost any of the books that have been recommended. Working from offsets is more time consuming, but far less expensive.

Oh, and while I'm pushing books, see if you can get a copy of George Putz's book on canvas covered boats. He includes plans and numbers for two sizes of a design named "Walrus". check the archives for the words "plywood" and "Walrus", and you'll see postings by Mike Hanks that show the version of htis boat that he covered with strips of thin plywood instead of canvas. It looks like a stitch and glue boat, but the construction is simpler and the plans are less involved.

The 18 1/2 foot walrus is definitely good for a large guy, and could even serve as a double with changes in the cockpit configuration.

hope this helps

PGJ