Go to bearmountains link below. That's the home of the Redbird canoe. Your question is the #1 question asked about the Redbird. Unfortunately, I've never seen it answered terribly well by anyone. There are also many different printings of that book, with various errors in it. They'd fix one, and add another. :-(

Rots-o-ruck. I'll be in your position eventually. The Redbird is the canoe my wife informed me that I am to build her. I wanted to do a skinned kayak, but have been told she wants the Redbird. Heck, it's a darn pretty canoe.