> I have run into a guy I was going to buy my cedar from here in Australia
> who swears black and blue that “bead and coving” the strips is a waste of
> time and wood and that canoes turn out just as well and more quickly using
> plain flat strips.

I used both bead and cove and flat strips on my canoe (as part of stripping in a design). The bead and cove strips are far quicker since you do not need to plane a custom rolling bevel on each strip. B&C also forces the strips into alignment between forms. Much easier overall for a first time builder. With a decent table router setup and a friend to help, you can mill the bead and cove in a few hours.

Having said that, I gather that many builders in the past did not use b&c, and some do not today. It is very possible to build a fine quality boat without the bead & cove.