Hi Sue,

In the mid-90's I came across some boy scouts who built canvas framed
kayaks as a project. The boats cost virtually nothing (about $75), and
took a few weekends to build. The scouts were using a book called
"Wood and Canvas Kayak Building" by George Putz, ISBN 0071559396,
$13.27 from amazon.com

To build the things, they were just using scrap wood, canvas and
paint. The boats are equally easy to repair, sew the hole back
together, repaint and paddle. Ribs can be repaired with driftwood. The
boats even fit into the category of "fix with duct tape and bailing
wire".

I believe their cost per boat was something like $75 each (mostly for
heavy canvas and good marine paint). They were not the prettiest
things on the water, but it did give the kids a chance to get out and
paddle. They even used them for an overnight trip on the Colorado
River from Loma to Wes****er (class I). The scout leader even made
himself a jumbo sized one, they are a build to fit type boat.

There will no doubt be purists that will balk at such a boat (yes,
just plain painted canvas, no fancy imitation seal skin), but from
what I have read posted here, it just might meet your criteria. The
only downside is that the canvas will rot, no matter what, and will
need to be replaced every few years (more if you are in a wet
climate). For as little as they cost to build, if your son does not
like it, he can probably sell it for a profit and build something
else.

- Eric