RE: [Paddlewise] Proud Pappa of a New Strip Built Boat

> If you want to build quickly, choose a material and building system
that
> builds fast. Plywood kayaks build fast. The last one I built took
about
> 40 hours.

Michael is referring to a method called "Stitch and Glue".
Skin-on-frame is also a much faster build than strip built.  You can
even build your own folder, but those aren't wood.  They have aluminum
frames. You can even do a "hybrid" - A Stitch and Glue hull with a
Stripped deck.   All in all, I think that strip built is about the most
time consuming method there is.

> The point of building a boat is as much the building as the having of
> the
> boat when you are done. Unless you *enjoy* the building method and
> materials
> then you are far better off buying a boat instead.

ABSOLUTELY!  After having been through the process, I would NEVER
recommend someone build a strip built boat because they can't afford
$2500-$3000 for a new, manufactured glass boat. If you don't love the
process and working with wood, it's not worth the effort.  You MUST love
the process for strip built.  I had the tools to mill my own strips, so
my building costs were somewhere around $650-$700.  If you had to buy a
lot of stuff, including milled strips, your costs are going to be much
higher, and it's just not worth building for the sake of saving money on
a boat (IMHO).
 
> Warning, boat building can be very addictive!

YEP!  I can see myself building boat after boat after boat, just for the
pleasure of it.  My boat has only been done a couple of weeks, and I
can't wait to start the next one.

I have to be careful, though.  I don't' want the building to totally
replace the paddling.  :-)

Rick
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