: I think he probably would have if I had asked a specific question. It's too
: early in the game for me for specific questions. I'm just trying to read
: through the instructions and get a feel for them.

This is a good strategy. I did it too....the visualization thing. Mr. Macks will definately be one of your resources. I had some interaction with him, but as I ended up deviating from the instructions a bit, I just ended up figuring most things for myself, and through other sources. This wasn't my first attempt at wooden boat building, and I had certain personal goals that I wanted to achieve, and techniques I wanted to try. Along these lines, certain proceedures were familiar to me, and other factors (projected use, personal aesthetics, and shop conditions) prompted the deviations from the "instructions".

: No, it's a Green Valley Kipawa II stitch and glue canoe. So the Shooting Star
: would be my first kayak and first stripper.

I'm not familiar with Green Valley, but the Kipawa name is something I've seen in a strip form on the Newfound Woodworks' web site. As I saw it, it was a wilderness expedition boat, 16 to 17+ feet long, modern looking stems (flared, not much if any tumble home), not too much rocker. Pigmy Boats' markets a stitch and glue canoe...more traditional stems if I remember the photo correctly, the planks made for a "chined" look. Both pretty boats that would make any builder proud to have 'em on the roof of their car.

: I work in an unheated garage as well, but I'm in North Carolina so my buildng
: season is quite a bit longer than yours.

North Carolina...Hmm, beautiful state...I've got a cousin in Charlotte, and good friends in Ashland....they've been trying to get me down for years so they could put me under a waterfall or something (the friends in Ashland). I'm thinking "Last of the Mohicans". Anyway, shop temp wouldn't be too much of a concern for you, and shop size shouldn't be either because the Shooting Star is only 15 feet and some inches long.

: I'll either buy them or have someone mill them for me. Either way, I'll
: probably try to have them done all at once.

So I guess you'll need to decide if you will have your strips milled bead and cove, or some bead and cove and others slightly beveled, or not beveled, or none bead and coved etc. I guess there's an on going debate on the bead and cove thing. I prefer 'em, even though the cove tends to hide the imperfect joints until you go to fair the hull....for me, the bead and cove helps hold the strips together better over all....even though certain joints might be a little weak. I'm sure if any of our fellows reads this, they might have a different opinion. However that being said, I used the bead and cove theory to decent success when it came time to join deck to hull...I did bead down when I stripped the hull, and bead up when I stripped the deck. I shaved a bit off the cove on the hull and the two joined relatively easily.

: This question is far beyond anything I'm ready to even think about. I think I
: understand the challenge, though.

Not really. You'll need to consider strip pattern a little bit when you start picking out stock. If you begin to assemble the bow pieces, there are a few strips on either side of the lower bow piece that are attatched, and if you want them to match those that go on the upper bow piece and the rest of the hull, you'll be looking for continuity...or maybe not if you put an accent piece there. Ditto for the stern tail piece. If you have an accent strip going stem to stem, making the swept stern requires joining the accent strip, which I've seen in some of the pictures of Laughing Loon baidarka boats. I did it a little different than the pictures I saw, but I think there are only so many combinations that are natural, without going to too much effort...Richard Kohlstrom had an interesting design pictured on his web-site. I'm still trying to figure out how they did that.

: I'd love to see the photos and notes. Since I won't know what I'm doing
: either, I'm sure I can learn a lot from what you did.

Yeah, like what "not to do". Let me give this a little thought. I hand wrote the notes on any kind of paper I could find, and the photographs are stacked in the folder...it's all in a chronological order of sorts, but the total package weighs almost as much as my boat. I guess photocopying my notes won't be too time consuming, but the photos are a little more precious...not that the photography is award winning or anything.

: Thanks,

: Patsy

No problema.
Bill