David,
I'm just a little north of you and I've gotten nice clear cedar at James Lumber in Poulsbo. Not sure what their prices are now, but the last wood I got there for paddle carving and SOF gunwales was nowhere near your $10.10/BF and they've had a good selection. I can't help but think there'd be similar availability at some smaller lumber store somewhere in the Tacoma area. The big stores typically don't have a good selection of clear cedar, but with some searching I have managed to get some nice paddle blanks at Home Depot out of their cheap cedar 2x4 stack.

-John

: Can someone tell me where I can buy cedar strips or cedar lumber
: for building a kayak? I live in Tacoma Washington and the only
: clear straight grain lumber I can find they want $10.10 a board
: foot. And I still have to rip it myself. It seems as thought
: clear cedar just doesn't exist int the north west. I have been
: looking for a source for 5 months and I am so frustrated I am
: ready to abandon the whole project. I tried tight knot cedar but
: it breaks to easily at the knots.