: I am contemplating building a Sea Tour 17 and would appreciate advice as to
: alternatives, if any, to building the frame from aluinium or western red
: cedar.

I used aluminium (that's the spelling in Aus, isn't it?) but only for two good reasons:
1) There's no straight passage out of my basement big enough to let a kayak out, and
2) I'm really, really terrible at woodwork. Metal tubing I can manage.

I'd love to try someone's wood-framed SeaTour 17R for comparison. The slop in the connectors of a folding kayak makes for a very sexy ride in the waves.