A CLC kayack would be a great way to get your feet wet with the tools and building techniques. I live about 5 minutes from thier factory and have seen thier kits and manuals. I even plan on bulding one in the next few years. The idea is you can try out boat building for about $1000 US for a nice kayak (completed) and one winter of building. They also use the same wood, 4mm Okume.