: Awesome stuff Tom!!! Is this your first go at building? Also out of
: curiosity, costs? I am looking into building the 14ft great auk. Not much
: sea water near Fairbanks Ak. Possibly going to build the 16.5 play for
: cruising some of the bigger rivers....Keep up the good work, it making me
: itch to get started!!!

: Dan

Thanks Dan.
What are you waiting for man....get building and have fun paddling come spring. The Auk should be a decent compromise for what you have stated your looking for in a kayak. You won't find a single kayak that will fit everything you want it to do....No problem, just build a couple different kayaks.

This is actually my 2nd strip build. My first was a guillemot double. As for the costs; after spending more time on the net I have found many less expensive resources for materials and I could save a bundle. I paid almost double for the fiberglass cloth compared to what I could get it for. I was initially concerned about cloth being treated with velum?, and most boat supply houses did not advertise it this way. I ended up buying from a company that caters to construction of aircraft. Same with epoxy.

Don't forget to factor in the shipping charges when you order. Most epoxies will have a hazardous shipping charge and rolls of fiberglass may have an extra charge for "irregulars" or for "no converyer belt"

Next order of fiberglass will go to (Fiberglas Supply Inc)

http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/default.asp

They have a very wide selection and the best prices I've seen for carbon, kevlar, and others....although I have not used these. In fact I could have built with kevlar for less than I did for standard E glass at the prices I paid compared to their prices.(kevlar does not wet out clear, so I really wouldn't want to do that...at least on the exterior).

and Epoxy will be (Raka) http://raka.com/ which has had many favorable comments on this board.

I still need to get foam for a seat and some foot braces and that will bring my expenditures close to $500. However, I still have enough fiberglass for another kayak and enough strips to get a good start. The redwood price also seemed to be a real killer. That alone added $30 to the total cost, but I wanted to have dark wood for contrast, so it was worth it. (it also adds a lot of weight)

I just checked to see what my costs were on the guillemot double and that rang up close to $750.

I would be courious to see what others have built these two boats for. Comments here from other builders for comparison would be appreciated.

I factor everything into my costs...masking tape, foam brushes, sand paper and even gas when I have made the 100 mile trips to Duluth for supplies and to get to a Menards and Home Depot. The little things really do add up over time.

I also spent about another $500 in building the 1st kayak on misc tools and kayak gear such as paddles, spray skirts, carrier bars for the car etc.

Tom