: I haven't started the stripping yet. I have two generic, basic,
: planes .. a large one and a small one. I had picked these up a
: few years back at : a home "box store" for other work. They weren't
: advertised as low-angle planes.
Although you'll hear a lot about low angle planes on this forum, unless you're working on end-grain, you don't need one. A standard angle plane will work just fine.
The bigger concern is that your planes are low-end tools. While I'm certain that they can be made serviceable, they will require a lot of tuning to get good performance. I've got a bunch of inexpensive block planes and spokeshaves that I've used for classes and it took 1-2 hours each to get them prepped for use. If you can post the brand and model of the plane, I may be able to give you some specific tips on tuning it, but the information below is generic enough to work with whatever you have.
Assuming you're working with a block plane, you'll need to:

1- Flatten the sole, which will require a flat surface and several grits of sandpaper from 80 - 400. With the plane assembled but the blade retracted, start by rubbing it on some 220 grit paper. If you're lucky, you'll see pretty even scratches over the bottom of the sole, but more likely, it will hit in only a few places. If that's the case, start with 80 grit until you get the sole flat, then move on to 150, 220 and 400 grit, which will give you the final surface you want. The most important part of the sole is right in front of the mouth; that MUST be flat.

2- Clean any paint or burrs from the surfaces the blade rests on, particularly at the mouth

3- Remove the paint from the top cap where it contacts the blade and make sure the surface is flat. You need solid contact with the blade for best performance.

4- Flatten the back of the blade. This is CRITICAL to being able to achieve a good edge. Again, you may get lucky, but more than likely the blade won't even be close to flat. You flatten it the same way as with the plane sole, but it's only important to get the last inch of the blade flat.

5- Sharpen the blade. With inexpensive planes, this is something you will be doing a lot, since their blades don't hold an edge particularly well, so you need a method that is effective and fast. The best I've seen is the one recommended by Lie-Nielsen, which uses an inexpensive jig like the one Charles recommended, combined with a home-made stop block for setting the blade in the jig, coarse sandpaper for roughing in the edge and a double-sided waterstone for final honing. Download their instructions at: http://www.lie-nielsen.com/pdf/Sharpening.pdf (Note: the second page of the .PDF file is actually the first page of the instructions). It's a very practical sharpening method that uses the minimum of equipment and supplies necessary to produce a really fine edge, and it's fast to re-hone a dull blade. After trying several methods, it's the one I like best.

Keep in mind that although tuning a plane can be a pain, it's a one-shot deal that dramatically improves a tool's performance, so it's worth the effort. Once it's done, all you need to do from there is to sharpen the blade as needed.

: Should I invest in a specific plane for my kayak work?
That really depends on what you have now. If one of them is a block plane, you don't necessarily need to buy anything else. However, many kayak builders like a smaller "apron" plane like the Lie-Nielsen 102 or 103, or the Veritas Apron Plane from Lee Valley. They're a very handy size and they are top-quality tools that are ready to use right out of the box.

: Anyway, I need to sharpen the planes and have
: been reading about the Scary Sharp method.
"Scary sharp" works to a degree and will produce a usable edge, but it's main appeal is that it's cheap. Finishing the edge with a waterstone makes a big difference and it's worth the investment, IMO. Not only is the edge sharper - which makes it more useful - it's more durable, so you spend less time sharpening.

: My question is ... what do folks use for a
: sharpening jig? Is there a specific model folks recommend?

As I mentioned above, the basic General jig works fine with the proper accessories. If you want a really nice system, the Veritas MKII is hard to beat and it's what I use most often. It works well with the Lie-Nielsen sharpening method.

If you have any questions, either post them here or feel free to email me.