: Hey, I'm a senior in high school, and for my senior project, I'm
: building a kayak. I had a few questions. First of all, how many
: total hours does a kayak usually take to finish? Second, how
: hard is it to start from scratch. A friend suggested a kit, bit
: that's a tad out of my price range, so I decided I would build
: it from scratch. And third, is there any good supplier (wood,
: materials, etc.) in connecticut, or around northwest
: Connecticut?
: Thank you

: And like I said, I'm new to this, so any other advice would be
: greatly appreciated.

Kayaks can be built in any number of ways, from strippers, to stitch and glue plywood, to skin-on-frame (SOF). They all take varying levels of time, money and commitment - from months (or years) to just a few weeks.
The most time consuming, tedious and messy are strip built kayaks. The quickest and easiest method is non-traditional skin-on-frame, which can be built, from scratch, for less than $200 in under a month - for a beginner . . . I can build one in a week and a half - but I've had a lot of practice.

I suggest you check out Tom Yost's {Free!}wood framed kayak builders guide{ http://yostwerks.com/WoodSOFMain.html } and consider building either his Sea Rider or Rolldarka designs - assuming you are an avg sized guy. Note that any of his boats (except the inflatables) can be built (quicker and easier) as non-folding wooden framed kayaks. And that they can be skinned with a variety of fabrics, not just the PVC that Tom recommends.
Alternatively, check out my website for some home builder designs, also with free building guides available (www.GentryCustomBoats.com)

Try woodfinder.com for wood in your area.

Good luck!
Dave Gentry
This is my Rolldarka (a low volume "rolling specific" baidarka, which also happens to be a great day paddler).