In which our heroine decides she wants to build her own kayak.

A short history
I have been a distance runner (marathons and ultra-marathons) since 1990, completing 58 to date. In late 2005, I developed foot pain that wouldn't resolve. In an attempt to cross-train, I bought a kayak and took up a sport I hadn't participated in since I lived in California. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it.

My Perception Carolina (14'7") was great for the local smaller rivers, but if I wanted to keep up with the big boats, I needed... well, a bigger boat. After searching online for all manner of fiberglass and kevlar boats, I decided to do what I really wanted to do - build a wooden boat.

Another search ensued, and I again decided to do what I really wanted - build a cedar strip boat. Sure, it'll take a lot longer than a stitch-and-glue project, but if I'm only going to do one... this will be it. I purchased a kit for a Redfish Silver, and it arrived in December 2006. Well, one box out of two. The other finally arrived in mid-January 2007, a few days before I was scheduled for foot surgery.

Before that happened, I got much of the set-up done...

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