> Having read the replys that you have received, I cannot find fault. All sound advice. I had a long break from the sport due to family and earning a living, but have recently started building and messin' about with boats. My (then 12 year old) daughter and I sent away for the Merganser18 plans and built and launched it. Varnished decks and painted the sides and bottom (this is a boat to be used hard and not designed for the coffee table) I can recommend the craft as a good starter. So long as you read the instructions and use the stuff between your ears, ask lotsa questions and are not in a rush you will have a boat to be proud of. I am lucky to get a turn in our Merganser. I will soon be starting a Great Auk. The gods and the finance committee willing. Give it a go. Be aware that placing one of these wooden boats on a beach will attract a crowd of people and in order to go paddling you need to be a bit rude and get out on the water. Don

good morn Brion,

> unarguably strip boats are beautiful ways to get linear pieces of wood
> into compound curves, s&g are sections of wood that are a little more
> limited in the curves possible, although pygmy does a good job with it's
> 8panel boats, quality is more a function of the builders skill. Most first
> time boats "perform" the same as boats made by long time
> builders,they may weigh a little more or look rougher. Quality and
> performance characteristics tend to mesh with personal preferences of the
> paddler. In other word there isn't a 0-60 time for kayaks. It would be
> like performance characteristics for $90 running shoes. Dimensional data
> or stability curves still won't tell you as much as your own paddling
> experience or two cent opinions from paddlers you know. Four panel boat
> might take 100hrs to make,8panel a little more, strip boat?,haven't made
> one but estimating >200hrs other builders could answer that one.

> pygmy boats are well designed, built a couple and appreciate the the
> designers intent. The coamings are large,which is a characteristic most
> beginning paddlers like. Personally i like more of a keyhole shape for
> thigh braces. They have a gap in boat choices for lower volume kayaks for
> the 150lb paddler range, although the Arctic Tern 14 might fill that need.
> chesapeak light craft has a range of kayaks also built a few of theirs,
> clc LT16 can fit that niche the shear clamp method of construction allows
> for a builders playing with shear line or back deck curve. Both companies
> are friendly and responsive to customers. Nicks brother Eric has design
> plans called Merganser that looks good, no idea how it paddles, San Javier
> Kayaks in Berkeley Ca. has a couple models, too many choices out there!

> anything else? gets lots of latex gloves,don't eat over raw wood kayak
> before glassing (hamburger drippings etc.),random orbital sanders are
> great, guys on the board mention scrapers enough to get me the the store,
> go for it