Scott Pettigrew

@Kudzu Jeff, you and your boats will be sorely missed. Your designs are amazing! Have you thought about a way to keep them alive? The books will endure, but you could sell digital downloads of your plans through your Facebook site. Best of luck!

Buy the smallest sheet of plywood available and soak a small piece in water for 24 hrs. You can also boil it for an hour. If it doesn't delaminate it will be OK

RacerX used 3/8 as well. Seems plenty strong enough. https://messing-about.com/forums/topic/13355-update-on-38-okoume-plywood-short-shot/

For my Ravenswood LV it was half a sheet. I also built a Vardo, but can't remember how much it needed. I used Roseburg 3/8 AB Sanded Marine-Grade Plywood from Menards, which looks like has really gone up in price too ..$100 for a 4x8. I'm in the middle of the country, Okoume isn't available locally. You'll gain a little weight savings with it if you decide to go that way.

I finished my Ravenswood Low Volume a few months back. Just took it for a paddle today for the first time; taking advantage of 70-degree weather in November. The boat is for my son who is about 5'7" and 145 lbs. I think it will be perfect for him. I'm closer to 5'10" and 170, and it felt like I was probably pushing the limits. Felt like I was riding very low in the water. Otherwise, she paddled very nicely. My son wanted blue, and since I was using the two-part urethane from the Skin Boat Store, I searched for a pigment to mix with the urethane and get the color my son wanted. Below is a snapshot of what I used, and although I don't think it's exactly what he had in mind, we agree that it looks very nice. The skin is 840 X-TRA TUFF BALLISTIC NYLON. It's very easy to work with and tightens right up after soaking with a garden hose. Stays tight too. Here she sits next to my Vardo.

I thought about it and did a little research. Seemed like it would add too much weight.

Yep, the frames were rounded over, sanded, and all sharp edges have been removed.

I'm getting ready to skin my LV. The pics below are the large float bags (33.5" long) from NRS in both the bow and stern. They fit, but they are very snug around the frames when inflated. I'm wondering if chafing will wear through the bags? I could put some tape on the frames. Thoughts?

Thanks for the advice. Fortunately, I have not skinned the boat yet. Time to fabricate some supports.

Being located in the middle of the country and with no local suppliers, shipping costs for Okoume are brutal. If I need say 10 sheets, NBD, but for my Ravenswood build I only needed half a sheet, and shipping was still $150. No thanks.

Cheaper than 1/2" okoume ?. What type of plywood do you use?

@Hal Hammond I don't see the coaming supports on the sides. Do you need them? They were not part of my Ravenswood LV plans, but my Vardo had them. See pic if you are unsure what I'm talking about.

Rusty, I believe the books are roughly the same, except they have different designs/plans. While you could build a kayak just from the book, it's better to buy plans from https://www.kudzucraft.com/web/shop so you have the full-size patterns. Also, when buying the plans, they come with an instruction book that contains much of what's in the books. Regarding which boat, I'm about 40 lbs lighter than you, but my Vardo is very spacious and would likely work well.

Is that why my boat looks so funny? ? I actually do both. Mark everything with my method. Then stretch my tape the full 18 feet to double-check.

@lattenkracher is right, but for me, it was much easier to measure the distance between frames. After laying the keel, I marked the keel with the position of first frame and then measured from that mark to the next frame and placed a mark. For example, on the Vardo, I measured two feet from the 3'6" frame to the 5'6" frame and marked the keel, from the 5'6" to the 6'6" I measured one foot and marked, etc. This method is easier than trying to stretch your tape 10+ feet down the boat.

I used NRS bags in my Vardo. They have two sizes. I can't remember, but I think I went with the larger size in both the bow and stern. If those look too big, the smaller size should work in the Ravenswood. https://www.nrs.com/nrs-split-kayak-float-bags/pesk?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=1672873107&utm_content=68835701990&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Dynamic_Search&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKCAjwvpCkBhB4EiwAujULMmXyOU7kT9ZQeyS65S5x04V-DAhlaBbEY6RjyA2NYwREaijhyN69WxoCBy4QAvD_BwE

@ProaRaider I have no recommendations on constructing an Ulua out of skin on frame, but I did build one as designed with cedar strips. Fun project. Boat doesn't tack real well, but that's apparently typical with proas. When I was building mine I emailed Gary several times with questions and he was very responsive and helpful. gary.dierking@gmail.com

Really nice. What skin and color?

I have not used polyester. However, the Skin Boat store says they carry something called "poliester." Is that a spelling mistake or brand name? No idea. If you reconsider nylon, the 840 X-TRA Tuff Ballistic Nylon is fantastic. https://shop.skinboats.com/840-Poliester-840pol.htm

Thanks for all of the input. I ordered the Ravenswood LV plans. Hoping for a spring launch.

Very nice. Don't realize how small it is until you put it next to the others. What skin/paint did you use?

Thanks. The LV is narrow, but the paddler is only 140 lbs. Is that heavy enough so that the full size Ravenswood hull doesn't ride too high?

Looks great! Is that urethane minus any coloring? I also used the two part urethane and wonder what it would look like without the pigment.

I know, I know...there's a FAQ for that! Hear me out, I've narrowed it down to one of three boats and I'm looking for some opinions. The Kayak will be used for recreational day paddling. No fishing or overnight expeditions (most likely). The primary paddler is 5'7" and 140 lbs. This person is an adult so lets assume their weight will stay constant. I've eliminated the kids kayaks and the longer boats for easier roof mounting. I'm eliminating Vardo because I've already built one, and although I love it, want something different. The Curlew is nice but I'd rather not deal with stitching the fantail I'm down to the: Short Shot - because Jeff said it was probably his favorite design. Also, I'd like to try paddling a multichine boat. Ravenswood - It's the right size and the hard chine is slightly lighter and easier to build Ravenswood LV - Based on the paddlers size. I'd love to hear opinions from fellow kayak builders/paddlers.

When I built my Vardo last winter I got sticker shock with cedar pricing. Thankfully it's come down, and considering the slow down in new home construction, lumber prices should remain "normal."