On the subject of weight - my local lumber yard had some willow boards. My second canoe is 15# lighter by using willow for the gunwales instead of the beech I used in the first. The willow is softer but seems to be holding up well. By the way, when you do find good boards, buy all you think you will need and can afford because it's apparent that "it don't come easy".
> Possibly because very few pine species are as light as the cedars
> commonly used in strip building. For those interested here's a selection
> of specific gravities that I got from Identifying Wood by Bruce Hoadley
> (sorry if I come across as sounding pedantic) :

> northern white-cedar :- .31

> Atlantic white-cedar :- .32

> western redcedar :- .33

> Engelmann spruce :- .34

> eastern white pine :- .35

> sugar pine :- .36

> incense cedar :- .37

> western white pine :- .38

> redwood :- .40

> ponderose pine :- .40

> white, black, and Sitka spruce :- .40

> eastern hemlock :- .40

> red spruce & lodgepole pine :- .41

> Port-Orford-cedar :- .42

> Norway spruce :- .42

> Alaska-cedar & red pine :- .44

> western hemlock :- .44

> Scots pine :- .46

> eastern redcedar :- .47

> Douglas-fir :- .48

> shortleaf & loblolly pine :- .51

> pitch pine :- .52

> longleaf pine :- .58

> slash pine :- .61

> Pacific Yew :- .62

> European Yew :- .64

> The firs fall between .34 (subalpine fir) and .43 (Norway fir)
>

> Most hardwoods average about .60 to .70

> balsa :- .16 ekki :- 1.00 lignum vitae :- 1.14

> Of course this is only a rough guide, as one board to the next
> can vary enough to justify bringing a scale if you're concerned about
> weight, as I am. However, upon further thought, the difference between
> a typical 45-50 lb. kayak made with northern white-cedar and eastern
> white pine is only about 6 lbs. I guess I could live with that, considering
> the final result (drop-dead-gorgeous kayak), and the fact that I could
> be milling strips by tomorrow afternoon (no more ants in the pants).
> If I want a lighter kayak, then I'll just have to make another :-),
> I keep telling myself: first walk, then run. I'm sold - thanks guys.
> Sometimes I wish I'd use it more often! :-)

> Oh yeah, btw, does anybody have experience with epoxy/glass on
> top of stained wood? I'll want to tone it down a little.

> Thanks again!

> Mike Spence