Background - Jamie from PEI Canada, interested in kayaks for years. Bought all the books (Morris, Cunningham, etc) about a decade ago, built a Greenland paddle and then life got int the way - again - and now it's back on track. My wife & I recently took advantage of a local outdoors shop's "Demo Day" and tried kayaking for the 1st time... we are hooked! My one and only experience was in a Current Designs Caribou and it confirmed what I knew to be true... I'm gonna like my SOF. I think they took bets that I would get wet - I would have made money. :)

That said I have a wood-supply dilemma... where I live wood seems to come in few varieties: firewood, econo studs and trim. LOL The boating supply dept of the local box store has some decent looking "select" pine that matches the dimensions in the Morris book I favour. It comes in 8- or 10- foot lengths, not the 16 I need.

Hence the scarf question.

I'm considering a scarfed joint, possibly hooked, doweled and maybe also lashed.

What I ask is this - where is the best place to locate the scarf? mid-ship? Forward or aft of the coaming?

Does it matter?

I searched but didn't find this specific question asked... most scarfing issues seemed to be for ply.

Thanks for any and all input!

Jamie