Have just received Nick Schade's book and hope to be getting the plans for the Expedition Single imminently.

A flick through the pages makes me wonder what I have let myself in for. When laid out in 200 odd pages it all looks a little more taxing than when viewed on a web page; with the entire build summised in 10 or so jpegs.

If I'm honest, I haven't touched a woodworking tool since school and the pinnacle of my achievement then was a birdbox.

The last (only) kayak I built was also at school and, if my memory serves me correctly, was built of stuff that looked remarkably like Nick's description of 'mat'. Not, he notes, suitable for boatbuilding.

The only thing to do is give it my best shot and see what results. Expect some incredibly dunce-like questions over the winter.

Francis.