: Hi, my names Alex, im 16 years old, and i just recently have decided to build
: a kayak. I have a book called the Aleutian Kayak, by wolfgang brinck....
: This book is a great help, however i was wondering what type of wood i
: should.... I know that spruce is recommended, but i am having trouble
: finding it?

A lot of materials people use (and specify) are easy to find only in the regions where they live. On this bulletin board you'll find builders all over the world who have sucessfully substituted local species and varieties of wood as the modified the plans they purchased from (sometimes) halfway around the world. If you wish to share with us where in the world you are, we could probably find someone near to you who could comment on the materials available, who reputable suppliers are, and the going prices. I don't think you should post your address on the internet, but if you could identify the nearest large city, that would be fine.

: Any suggestions? Also, i was wondering if i could have any
: tips from people who have already built kayaks, about any problems they
: encountered, regardless of whether they were structural or motivational
: issues.

heh heh heh that's funny. We have A LOT of problems. All the time

The current and archived comments on this board alone are over 82,000 -- and about one-fifth are beefs, gripes, groans, and agonizing wails over problems encountered with building their boat. Fortunately, about 4/5ths of the messages are suggestions which have (apparently) helped. Problems with tools and materials are the easiest to solve. (Usually you just need to spend the money for a new tool, or another piece of wood.) Prolems with motivation are a bit trickier. What I have seen, however, is that people who worry about having the motivation frequently become avid readers of this board, and through it they gain the confidence to start. Once they start they find that actually making the boat is much easier than even reading the instructions.

Take pictures as you proceed. Your first pciture can be taken before you even start. Snap a shot of the area where you plan to build. Once you start thinking of this area, and of the boat you will build there you will find that your own dreams and plans are a stronger motivation than anything else on earth.

We have seen groups of eigth-graders build kayaks, and Boy Scout troops have had 11-year-old builders turn out lovely kayaks. At 16 you shuld have no problems handling the materials and the necessary tools.

The MOST IMPORTANT THING IS SAFETY! If you are starting with 10 fingers you want to end up with the same amount. It makes it easier to build the next boat that way. A very sharp tool is safer than a dull one. Take the time to sharpen your tools properly. If you don't know how, learn.

Your library will be a very nice resource. There are a lot of books dealing with kayaks, kayak building, and kayaking, but your library probably will not have many of them on its shelves. No problem. If you find the name of the book you want, ask a librarian about "interlibrary loan". I think of this as one of the greatest informational sources in the world today. Your librarian will find another library which has the book, it will be shipped to you and you can check it out and return it to your local library after a week or two. Usually this is completely free. I live in a very small town outside Chicago, which has a very small library -- but I can get any almost book in the world. To make your librarian's work easier, try to find the book you want on amazon.com, or barnesandnoble.com, and copy down the information they have. If you get the exact title, author, publisher, and (if you can find it) the ISBN number, then your librarian's search will take just seconds.

One thing that seems to slow down beginners is that with some plans the initial steps in boat building seem to have nothing to do with the actual boat. As you go through the process, though, you will find that all the preliminary steps are there for some reason. Go through the plans step-by-step and you'll have yourself a fine boat.

And if you don't understand a step, do not hesitate to post a detailed query here. Very soon someone who has completed the same model of boat as you are working on will send you a detailed answer, and perhaps tips on how to get past the next hurdle, too.

Welcome to Wonderful World of boat building. Keep us informed as it goes, and post a few pictures along the way, if you would, please.

Best of luck in your project.

PGJ