Mr. Bambina, I would disagree with you on one point...kayak design is rocket science, and you are one of the best rocket scientists around...not only have you, your brother, Mr. Shade, Mr. Macs, Mr. Moores, Mr. Rogers, and others like you created beautiful designs that are marketable, you've encouraged the rest of us to grow in our own skills.

: It's good that you discovered that kayak design is not exactly rocket
: science. With all the computer design programs available today coupled
: with all the kayak experts you would think that all kayaks would be
: exactly the same.

And like musicians, there are so many beautiful songs out there, that one would wonder why anyone would want to write their own....for love or money? Allen designed his for love.

: The advantage of pre-existing plans is that you can hopefully try the boat or
: get opinions so you don't spend a winter building something that you are
: totally disappointed with.

On a technical note, those skin on frame boats are measured out for the paddler using the paddler's body proportions as the metric. No plans, just traditional technique. The end products have great lines and wonderful paddling characteristics...no computer programs, yet doesn't Allen's boat resemble Mr. Shade's designs in the stems? How many of your designs were "customized" by the builder by adjusting the spacing and set up of the stations? Does that bother you? Just curious.

Bill Cruz