During my vacation a few weeks ago I took some time to get my first kayak out of the basement storage at my parents place in Maine and took it for a paddle. It was interesting to see that some of the things I still do, appeared on my first efforts.

Nick Schade has been building boats using the strip-built (aka strip-planked) method since 1983. Over the years he has learned a lot about the intricacies of the process by trial and error. If he can figure it out that way, so could you, but you don't need to as he has put most of what he knows into two books.

The Great Auk family of designs grew out my first efforts to design a kayak. I wanted a boat that would be roomy and stable, could carry a lot of camping gear and move through the water smoothly and easily. Since my initial efforts the family has evolved to fill a wide range of niches, from calm water pond boats to a fast tourer/racer.