Duane Strosaker's Point Bennet
I am currently building this boat. It is the Point Bennet from
Rollordrown.com. I can tell you, for a free design, this is one of the highest quality boats you can build. The instructions were very clear. His panels line up perfectly. This boat has a nice Greenlandish look with the volume needed for touring. It only has light rocker to help with tracking. Very cool.
Read the site all the way though. He recommends reading "The Kayak Shop" or "The New Kayak Shop" by Chris Kulczycki. I agree. Part of my ease of building this boat comes from the fact I have built a similar boat before. Chris's book is great and easy to follow.
Yostwerks- Tom Yost's Beautiful Skin On Frame Kayaks
These are all free kayak designs from the talented
Tom Yost! He has created many versions of his skin-on-frame kayaks that fold up when not in use. Most of these boats are pretty low volume. You must pay attention to what boat relates you your size and paddling ability. Some of these boats can be built in wood,
non-folding versions. This would be an inexpensive way to build your own kayak. When you are done, you will have a boat that is high performance and demands respect.
Before building, carefully study his website to understand what is involved. Also, read some books on Skin-on-frame building. I recommend Chris Cunningham's Building The Greenland Kayak. I would also go to the
Greenland forums and ask questions. You will most likely make some on-line friends in the process.
Free Greenland Paddle Video
In this instructional video you can watch
Matt Johnson make a Greenland paddle. The video can be downloaded for free and runs about a half hour. If you have never used a Greenland paddle, I recommend getting some professional instruction or advice. The proper use of the paddle can greatly increase your interest in paddling. They are fast, very effective for rolling, buoyant, and very light (if made from cedar). They also smell wonderful and can be used completely unfinished. I found have found a better sense of connection to the water by using one. The cedar may cost you about $10 and it takes just a few hours to carve one out. Don't be scared. There are very few tools involved and it really takes very little woodworking experience. Good luck.
