I'm planning to build a 16' skin-on-frame canoe.

I know a canoe is not kayak, but... I'm basing the design on a chapter from Morris's book, which features several kayaks, and I have previously built a SOF kayak :)

For the canoe, I'm going to be using red oak for most if not all of the frame, mostly because I was able to find 16' clear, green red oak stock. Morris's chapter on the Canadian canoe suggests dimmensions of members as follows...

Gunwales - 1 1/2" x 3/4"
Inwales and Rub rails - 3/4" x 3/4"
Keel Stringer - 1 1/2" x 1/2"
Other Stringers - 1/2" x 1/2"

I think those dimensions were assuming some sort of softwood was being used. With oak, I would think these dimensions might be overkill, not to mention rather heavy. That said, I don't know how much smaller would be appropriate.

Does anyone have suggestions as to the dimensions for these members if oak is used?

Thanks,
Clark