12 foot ha?
Thats pretty short for a canoe. I have a 12 foot sit on top kayak that works great for me and has enough room for an overnight trip.
Its a Tarpon120 by Wilderness Systems. Weighs 60 pounds. Has a sealed hatch up front and open area in back (where I keep the ice box and tackel. Get dry bags and you can put more things in the back cargo area and not worry about having wet things (not a bad idea to have everything in dry bags even in a canoe). Also has a built in back rest for the seat which really saves the back. They also have a 10 foot, the Tarpon100 at 50 pounds, I have one of those also...actually its my fiance's. But I've used it and works out good too. Its a lot easier to carry around and store. It could still carry enough stuff for an overnighter if you pack it right and go light. If you used to be a back pack camper, you can surely fit anything in the kayak that you used to cram in a backpack, that's for sure.
I used to have a home built canoe. But now prefer the kayak. Kayak is better to control in the wind also. And can handle some really rough seas.
As for buying kayaks in the DR, I did see one store that had them on thier web site. I don't remember the name but remember it beeing a good drive south out of Santo Dom., maybe 1-2 hours drive if I remember right. Was a boat supply store. (never been there, just the website).
I'm not familuar with the canoe you are thinking about building. ?Is it a strip built? You have to consider the availability of decent wood in the DR.
Let me see what I can do for you on this end. Give me a couple days.
?So tell me, what kind of fish do they have in that lake? ?Ever fish it before? ?got fotoS?
OH! What kind of storage do you have available for a canoe or kayak? ?you live in a house, or appartment?
Maybe I'm pushing you towards a kayak more because I want a kayak fishing bud in the DR
hahaha
I've done some fishing off the rocks there and standing on the reefs and got some nice fish and saw more that I wish I could have got. I wish I had a kayak then!! My fiance lives in SD and I'm getting ready to quit this job and go there. Imigration is moving way to slow to wait her out here (in the US)