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

Kevlar is a strong (40% stronger than fiberglass) material, perfect for building light-weight (35 pounds for a 17-foot canoe), fast, maintenance-free canoes. The only problem with Kevlar canoes is their cost--$2,000 or more. With this book, the most inexperienced home builder can turn out a handsome canoe for an investment of about $600 and a few weekends. The principal tools needed are a sharp pair of scissors and a $5 hand plane--and the method is astonishingly easy and forgiving. Featured are designs for a stable family canoe, a solo canoe, and a wilderness tripper, any of which can be built right from this book.

James Moran has been building canoes for more than 20 years. Searching for an easier way to build these boats, he hit upon this amazingly simple method in 1986 and has tested it on a squadron of novice builders, all of whom came away with excellent canoes. When not at his workbench, the Eyota, Minnesota, resident is likely out paddling.