Thanks very much for your reply, it's really helped. I am aware that it's almost impossible to give 100% fool-proof advice over the net, esp with a question that's as broad as mine, but I was just wanting some basic advice to help me know where to look and if it's poss in my timeframe, and you've helped a lot with both of those queries. Now I have a bit more of an idea where I should be looking. Yay!
You said there were a number of assumptions built into your recommendation. Would you mind giving me a bit of an idea what those assumptions were/were about?
Thanks again. By the looks of things I should be able to do it in the time frame I have, so on with the research!
Dot

: If the "how long will it take me" refers to the time to build a
: strip built kayak, the answer is, somewhere between 200 and 300 hours.

: If you plan to use it on the open ocean, you will need bulkheads and hatches,
: so it might be closer to 300 than 200.

: There are a lot of good designs available as pictures, plans or kits.
: While a lot of people here will be prepared to offer useful advice about
: designs, there is a lot to be said for doing some research yourself and
: looking at the many websites available.

: One of the problems with recommending designs to someone is that there are so
: many variables to consider; things like your experience, fitness, balance,
: intended use and so on.

: Asking the questions you have asked here is a good start, but you will still
: need to do a lot of research to understand how appropriate the replies are
: to your particular needs and capabilities.

: My initial thought is that for someone your size, something between 4.5 and
: 5.4 metres long and with a beam around 52cm to 58cm would be a good start.
: However there are quite a few assumptions built into that recommendation.