Fair warning - I haven't begun building yet, so you can take my comments with as many grains of salt as you think are appropriate.

In addition to all of the books described in the other posts, don't overlook some of the web information out there (to supplement, not replace, the books). For example there are some good technical articles at the Green Valley website (see link) among others, and some of the regulars on this board have described various alternative techniques on their websites. (for example, Ross Leidy's flush hatch cover hold-downs seem to be getting a lot of raves).

I have been lurking and planning now for about 18 months, and I have settled on an approach that incorporates techniques from various sources. Time will tell whether I've chosen wisely. Barring any unfortunate skiing accidents, I plan to begin any day now, and launch in the spring.

Ken C

: What book and/or plans do you folks recommend for building a strip sea kayak
: and a strip canoe. My wife and I have a fairly complete shop, including
: cabinet saw, jointer, planer, tig welder, plasma torch and much more. We
: have been building things for several years and are interested in trying
: our skills with a sea kayak or a canoe. We live in the Philadelphia area
: so have plenty of water to choose from. We both love the look of strip
: boats, canoes and kayaks. What books do you recommend for a canoe and what
: book do you recommend for a kayak. There are so many books out there its
: hard to make a decision. Also where is the best source for wood strips. We
: can rip them ourselves but this may be a false economy. We appreciate your
: recommendations.

: Ken & Pat