At issue here are a number of considerations. I came to boat building after a canoe trip to the BWCAW, outfitted by a college friend, who built two of the boats on that trip. My first boat is the Freedom 17-9, designed by The Bear Mountain Boat Shop. I called them to inquire about kit producers...Glen-co and Clark-Craft were the only companies selling kits that I was then aware of. Ms. Barret refered me to The Newfound Woodworks, www.newfound.com. I remember my first conversation with Mr. Vermouth very well. I'd done some research before the conversation, and I started off telling him what I was going to do, then stopped in mid sentence and asked, "What should I do?" The basic response was that ordering the materials in one package increases cost, but the learning curve is easier to negotiate. Now, my friend, we call him Bat Man, who inspired me on that BWCAW trip, scorns the idea of getting a "kit"...to this day, in spite of a beautiful boat, he spits out the word "kit" as if I cheated. I think his main concern was that you loose a little control by ordering your parts from someone else, rather than going to the lumber yard and picking your wood from the piles there. I don't have a table saw, or router table...and having those strips milled was a big relief...eventually I will get to that stage. That first boat's order included station moulds. That too was a big relief, and I've been able to do that stage myself on my latest project. I do not believe the mark up on the fiberglass and epoxy was excessive, and niether was the mark up on the wood strips...there was the labor costs involved, and I figure a days wages for a days work is fair. At the time, I do not believe this site was in existence, or I was not aware of it, so I was also grateful for the technical support provided by the people at the Newfound Woodworks. The project after that was a Pygmy Boat (Osprey Std), and though the process of stitch and glue is simpler, it took me longer to complete because other events in my life took priority. However, working the stitch and glue methods on a kayak, introduced me to the special features in kayak construction (hatch/spacer pieces/lips, cockpit coaming, attatching deck to hull, etc.) that have prooved invaluable now that I am in the process of completing a strip expedition single sea kayak (strips, fiberglass and some epoxy provide by Classic Boat Kits, Ontario, Canada-great people the Schultzes, beautiful strips, milled perfect, little technical support as I had experience, but I wish I would have taken the advice Peter gave at the outset...oh well). The hybrid designs are very interesting,and the strip aesthetics on the deck is a big plus for choosing that kind of boat. As for time, hell, if anyone's in a hurry to have a boat, they should just buy one. I mean, cost and time are a factor in any endeavor, but there's much more to building a boat than just having something to play on the water with. Yes, this site is very helpful in providing technical support, and you might be able to use this as a single resource for that aspect of your project. I still remember Mr. Vermouths words though, "There's a learning curve involved. Working with a kit helps get through that easier. You can always do more of the assembly on your own with the next project." That's proven to be very true in my case. One thing that might be common for many of us is while we might have started that first project with the intent of building a boat, after completion, another boat needed to be built. I guess the bottom line is, build the boat you see yourself using, build it to your own specifications no matter who designed it. Consider your skill limitations, but also remember that wood boat building is very forgiving of many errors. Consider the learning curve, and consider the idea that this first boat will not be your last. Good Luck.
Bill Cruz

: I'm new to kayaking and certainly to building a kayak. I've looked at kits on
: the internet and wonder which kit I should get: a stich 'n glue or a
: strip? I'm not an experienced carpenter, but I have used tools a little
: before (building a bookcase for instance). It sounds like a strip kit
: would be better quality, although more difficult to build. Time is not a
: problem.
: Any and all info appreciated (including suggestions on kits).
: Sorry if this is a repost. I did a search and couldn't find anything on this.
: Thanks,
: chas the novice