: Hi All - I am planning to build my first kayak, something I have always been
: interested in.

Search around this site for a while before you commit to any one design. check the archives and see which boats others have built. You'll see quite a few links to logs and blogs from builders.

People who have srip built kayaks love 'em. But they spend a lot more time making them. 300 working hours, over one or two years is common. That is a long time to be dreaming of paddling a kayak--but not really doing so. For a first boat you might want to consider building with plywood. The guillemot design (just to mention one you like), is available for a free download, as a stitch-and-glue (plywood) construction. It might be a faster project for you. Typical plywood construction is 100 to 150 hours for a first-time builder.

In either case, buying precut parts, or kits, reduces your time but increases your costs.

: - I am 6' 3" tall

That is part of the equation. Boats are designed around the amount of water they displaced. The weight of the paddler is more important than their height.

Some kayaks have very low decks. Tall people tend to have big feet. A low deck can be uncomfortable when paddling long distances or taking day trips. What size shoe do you wear? If you really like the design of a boat, and the size and displacement are suitable for you, then you can make small changes to the building forms to raise a deck slightly, and give you more space for your toes. Frequently a short e-mail to the designer of the boat you have in mind will get you info on whether this is feasible. Sometimes a designer will make alterations and send you a set of modified plans with the alterations you need.
Sometimes these things are free,and sometimes the designers charge a bit extra for them.

: - after getting more experienced I will definitely like to do some weekend or
: multi-day trips.
: - I live on Long Island, so will use it in the ocean and sound as well as
: upstate in lakes and rivers like the upper Hudson and Delaware.

: It seems that getting started could be the hardest part. Any advice would be
: appreciated!!!

You'll have maybe 3 good months of building time this year. Consider where you will store the half-completed boat until you can get back to it in the spring. Or plan to do lots of reading over the winter and start in the spring.

Good luck on your project.

PGJ