Building Your Kevlar Canoe: A Foolproof Method and Three Foolproof Designs

Rating:
Summary: A great way to get that Kevlar canoe you can't afford.
Review: I bought this book and used it to build an ultralight solo Kevlar canoe that I'm very happy with. It is not a complete, step-by-step guide; however -- you will have to use your ingenuity from time to time and read between the lines. I definitely recommend it if you want to build with Kevlar; indeed, it's the only book of its kind. But you should read it three times before you start building, and discuss its method with your resin/fabric supplier, who may give you valuable supplemental information. And, ideally, talk to someone who has already built a canoe using these methods. But the method which the author has developed is straightforward, and you don't need a fancy workspace to build your boat. I built mine outdoors, in the back yard, in a few weekends.

Rating:
Summary: A good guide for a resourceful canoe builder.
Review: I bought this book and used it to build an ultralight solo Kevlar canoe that I'm very happy with. The construction process was fun, and it's certainly more satisfying to make your own Kevlar boat than to pay $2000 for a new one. An added benefit of building your own is that you'll have complete confidence -- and the necessary materials -- when you need to repair it. This book is not an absolutely complete, step-by-step guide; however. You will have to use your ingenuity from time to time and read between the lines. I definitely recommend it if you want to build with Kevlar; indeed, it's the only book of its kind. But you should read it three times before you start building, and discuss its method with your resin/fabric supplier, who may give you valuable supplemental information. And, ideally, talk to someone who has already built a canoe using these methods. And search the web for discounted second-quality Kevlar fabric, which is perfectly good for boat building!

Rating:
Summary: Too much fun doing it yourself
Review: I followed this book and built my canoe. It was more a therapy project for me so it took longer than an average person, but it is doable as a summer project. No special skills required and just basic tool knowledge. Read the book carefully and understand what you are going to do before you do it and you'll do great. As the other reviews have mentioned, there are some gray areas, but with a little thought, you can work this out with no problem. One question I had, I wrote to the publisher and they forwarded my letter to the author who responded back to me--all in a timely manner. Had the canoe out for the maiden voyage a few weeks back and everything went great! Very rewarding to build it yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Too much fun doing it yourself
Review: I followed this book and built my canoe. It was more a therapy project for me so it took longer than an average person, but it is doable as a summer project. No special skills required and just basic tool knowledge. Read the book carefully and understand what you are going to do before you do it and you'll do great. As the other reviews have mentioned, there are some gray areas, but with a little thought, you can work this out with no problem. One question I had, I wrote to the publisher and they forwarded my letter to the author who responded back to me--all in a timely manner. Had the canoe out for the maiden voyage a few weeks back and everything went great! Very rewarding to build it yourself.

Rating:
Summary: DIY Kevlar Canoe... and it is so easy
Review: I was in the market to purchase a kevlar canoe when I stumbled across this book. This book does such a good job of explaining how to build your own Kevlar canoe, that I gave up the search for a new one and decided to build my own. This book lets the reader know that with some very simple techniques, almost anyone can build a Kevlar canoe. I am currently in the middle of my project and I have been very happy with the level of detail provided in this book.

Rating:
Summary: DIY Kevlar Canoe... and it is so easy
Review: I was in the market to purchase a kevlar canoe when I stumbled across this book. This book does such a good job of explaining how to build your own Kevlar canoe, that I gave up the search for a new one and decided to build my own. This book lets the reader know that with some very simple techniques, almost anyone can build a Kevlar canoe. I am currently in the middle of my project and I have been very happy with the level of detail provided in this book.

Rating:
Summary: Well put together
Review: This book was an excellent guide to building a composite canoe (or anything like it). I read it and got started with no previous experience. It answered every question that came up and I didn't run into anything I didn't expect. I would suggest this book to anyone who wants a guide to doing this sort of composite work.

Rating:
Summary: Well put together
Review: This book was an excellent guide to building a composite canoe (or anything like it). I read it and got started with no previous experience. It answered every question that came up and I didn't run into anything I didn't expect. I would suggest this book to anyone who wants a guide to doing this sort of composite work.