: Hey guys...

: i didn't think i'd get such an immediate response. woodworking exp...i've
: done enough to feel comfortable launching into this project. i'm probably
: somewhere between hobbist and pro...sort of. i've worked off and on over
: the last few years alongside a guy in a one man shop doing one-off custom
: designed/built furniture. i've got a good shop, just lacks assembly
: space...which is the main reason i haven't built a kayak yet.

: somewhere recently i read about folks building them on a sailboat deck and
: sidewalk (maybe in the FAQ on Nick's site). i took that to mean that being
: exposed to ambient weather/temp/moisture isn't a terribly big deal...for
: the stripping. it sounds like the epoxy needs a little more climate
: control and UV protection. i was thinking about tarping some space beside
: my little shop to do the assembly/build and hoping the weather would
: improve to a point that i could do the epoxy in place...

: i've looked around online and seen pricing for full kits but not for the
: strips. anyone care to share ballpark what i'd be looking at price
: wise...how do they price strips, by the bdf or linear ft like molding? i
: had planned on machining the strips myself until i started considering
: time saved v. money spent. someone mentioned a minimalist approach...i
: like that especially when you don't have the change to throw around.
: however, finishing for my wife to use on her trip this summer...priceless.

: -s

Steve -

Summer is closer than you think. The web pages all make kayak building look simple and fast, but it takes a lot of long days to actually finish one. I obsessed and spent all of my spare time from March to August last year to build a Great Auk, and that's a pretty easy to build boat. This year, I have a Guillemot stripped, faired, and the coaming half built and I am hurrying to get the glassing, hatches, bulkheads, varnishing, and deck fittings finished by summer.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but unless you are not committed to a full time job, you will be up against time pressures to get this done before fall. It's entirely possible that you are more productive than I am, but stay realistic. If I had to produce a boat quickly I'd look into a stitch and glue approach.