You won't need many tools. These boats are derived from models built by Stone-age cultures.

The most elaborate woodstrip kayaks take about 300 hours to complete. The simplest fabric-covered boat can be built in 25 to 30 hours. These are also called SOF, or Skin On Frame designs even though real animal skins are rarely used these days. Some people can build one in a weekend--but they've had some experience. Most people put in 4 to 6 hours a day over 4 to 7 days.

Start at the local library. If they don't have books on kayak building in their collection they can get them for you through interlibrary loan. They'll have phone books, too.

I find that searching Amazon.com gives me lots of titles and reviews. Then I get the ISBN number from there and take that to the library. Sometimes that info speeds up their search.

I like browsing the plans sold by Clark-Craft www.clarkcraft.com. They have some good information in their online catalog.

Different boat styles require different tools. In some cases you can buy premade parts if you don't have certain tools. Or, you can buy a tool to make those parts yourself. For example: A kayak made from a hundred thin strips of wood, such as you can see in other pages on this site can be made from a kit which contains precut forms and lots of wood strips. Or, if you have a tablesaw you can cut all the strips in a few hours. And cutting the forms with a jigsaw or bandsaw will take about the same amount of time.

Probably the simplest kayak to build is a wood frame covered with a waterproof fabric. There are two basic types of these wood frames. The modern type uses typically 5 to 9 plywood`frames which support 6 or more long strips of wood that run the length of the boat. Ancient designs use dozens of thin, bent wood ribs to support the long "chine" strips. Tom Yost has some excellent free designs made in the modern style at www.yostwerks.com.
You'll need a jig saw and a drill to build boats of this style.

The older designs used ribs which are set into mortises cut into the gunwales. Use the drill to remove most of the wood and use a sharp chisel to remove the rest.

A square is essential, as is a tape measure and a sharp pencil.

A lot of builders have tablesaws. If you don't have one you can easily get by without one. If you do have one you'll use it a lot. It is a paradox. Since I had a tablesaw before I started boat building I used it as a disk sander !

If you use paints or varnishes you will need brushes or rollers

Most of the tools you will use are relatively inexpensive. Since the wood involved is relatively thin it doesn't require a tool with a lot of horsepower. If you have the time you could build with hand powered tools. However electric drills are much cheaper and easier to find than hand-powered drills. The local Menard's hardware store has a 3/8 inch Variable Speed, Reversible electric drill on sale for $15 with a $5 rebate. They don't sell any hand powered drills. The local Ace hardware did. A Fiskers handpowered 1/4 inch dril was$12.95. A brace (another type of handpowered drill) was $30 .

Menard's had jigsaws on sale for the same price. What ever jigsaw you get--get the best blades you can find. A top-quality blade makes a cheap saw perform well.
Try www.menards.com I think that is their website. They might have the 0same sale online this week.

Some boats have a lot of staples in them. For that you need a good staple gun. Look for a model made by "arrow" which uses "T-50" staples ad can handle ones up to 9/16ts long. Then look for monel or stainless steel staples. If the hardware store doesn't have them they can order some.

A hammer. You can always find a use for it.

Hope this helps.

PGJ