Hey KBBB friends!
I'm looking ahead to my next project. I want to make a skin on frame tripple for our kids...I've read Brink's book, and Dyson...I've got the Brewery Street owner's book on order....and I've read up on a guy near Manitiwok, WI who gives classes. I've also seen some of the posts by Chip showing pictures of one of the masters in Europe working on a frame.

The particulars of the envisioned usage are:
-Varying conditions...big water (Great Lakes Basin) and lake country (BWCAW/Quetico).
-Children would be the primary paddlers...ages 8 and 6 now, but by the time this boat gets finished they could be 9 and 7 (or 15 and 13), and it would be best if this boat is something they will grow into.
-A tripple, to accomidate their own personal gear in the center, or a friend. Possibly a solo boat for an adult, with the two other cockpits sized smaller for the kids to paddle as a double.
-Reasonably efficient handling characteristics (no rudder) that would enable the children to keep pace with either adults paddling a canoe, or adults paddling single sea kayaks.
-Reasonable stability variables (not knowing how to roll in a single, I can't envision rolling a double in tandem with another paddler, but I imagine it will be one of the skills the children will need to acquire).

Design considerations:

As I understand it, native boats were fitted to the paddler(s) based on height and weight. Since the primary paddlers of this boat are growing...I'm not sure where to start.

If I ignore paddler size, my first thought is that it should fit on the roof rack, or in the garage. I'd rather it not be longer than 18 ft (5.5 meters?). If wider means more stable, but more difficult to roll...I guess I'd go with more stability, and hope not to inhibit speed.

I want a wood frame, and I'm leaning toward a dacron fabric (aircraft usages) for skin.

As I consider designs, how easy is it to adjust measurements and not distort the lines when one looks at plans? What do plans look like? Are they at all similar to plans of wooden boats? How easy is it to take the plans of a wooden boat and do it skin on frame? Off the top of my head, I'd try laying in the gunnels like Ted Moores lays in his shear clamp by notching the stations at the shear on the moulds. The ribs could be laminates or steam bent around the stations as the stems of most wooden canoes are laminated, or made of willow like Wolfgang Brink described.

Your comments are greatly appreciated.
Bill Cruz