: . . . it looks like a 2/3 all round scale down of Nicks
: Great Auk would get nearer to the size and bouyancy of your
: designs, giving OAL 11ft 4"
: DWL 11ft. Max beam 16", and WL beam 15.1". I must admit,
: I was surprised at your Max beam of 15" but I am coming at
: this from nowhere in the knowledge stakes.
: (So I might make a reasonable guinea pig!) Regards. Les C.

While it is interesting making perfect scale models of a design, they are not going to paddle like the full-sized project. A kid under 8 is unlikely to be able to appreciate the finer details.

Build a short boat, but keep the beam wide enough to provide extra stability. If that give a result which is not a perfect scale model, then that is fine. It is now your unique design, and I hope you share.

I think a kid's boat should be light enough for them to launch and land. It is hard to beat a fabric-covered frame for achieving light weight. www.gaboats.com has a 10 pound canoe. Take a look and see if it adds some ideas.

Give 'em a wheeled cart and they can get their boat to the beach.

If you go with a child-size strip-built boat consider building a couple of well-reinforced areas on the deck so it can be used as an outrigger on momma's or papa's boat. If the child gets tired on the water, or a squall comes up, it is safer to have them joined then to try and tow the smaller boat.

Just some thoughts

PGJ