Ok, everyone else has given you the low down, but I'll chime in anyway ... :-)

Pay close attention to Mike's modifications. He has specifically made the rear deck as low as possible and made the floor shallow. Putz's floor sits pretty high. Putz leaves the deck shape pretty much up to the builder. I made mine a bit too high and the cockpit too roomy. It feels more like paddling a canoe than a kayak. Mike's basic philosophy on this boat seems to be moving the design towards the original Skean (sp?) drawings and that's probably a good trend.

You might also want to consider a synthetic skin rather than canvas. I think the canvas is a heavier option by the time you get it on and painted/sealed. Mike is able to get 9 oz polyester (Dacron) at his local tent and awning store. I recently bought some from George Dyson in the Seattle area. He also sells similar as well as heavier weight nylon fabrics.

Overall, this boat can be a nice quick and easy build. Hope you enjoy it! Sounds like you have the perfect setup: Get someone else to try it first and then you build with everything they learned :-)

Bill