CLC sells a book on building strip built boats that includes ofsets.  

The link below is to a book that claims to inlcude full size plans.

ttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/building-a-strip-canoe-gil-gilpatrick/1112649467?ean=9781565234833

I'm sure others will chip in with more options. 

A good set of plans and instructions usually runs around $60 or so.

As you get into the project there are many people here who will be happy to chip in with solutions to problems.

the best thing is that you can do it!  First try may not be perfect but if will float and paddle and people will tell you how beautiful it is even when you see all the little imperfections.

Warning, its addictive.  I have built 3 kayaks. Thinking about a 4th.

Ed

   I forgot that CLC sells Guillmonts plans for the "mystic River Canoe." A beautiful boat.

Ed

if you are a beginner boat builder but an experienced wood-worker, you can work from plans (which you can buy) and other inexpensive resources like the forum or the strip built boat books sold at CLC.

if you are a beginner with no prior wood working experience, my recomendation is that you build from a kit....where the forms are cut for you and all the boat-specific material is sourced and pulled together for you (e.g., bead and cover strips).

in order to pick a canoe, i would not worry about studying the offset tables or buying plans.  just look at the basic elevations/line drawings (side view, top view, front/back view) and pick what appeals to you. almost all designers make their basic line drawings and pictures of available designs on the internet.. once you do that, just do a little more research to confirm overall size and payload features to ensure the boat will fit you and your intended mission (e.g, are you canoeing alone, or want to take somebody along for a ride).  if you want to do more research, you can find somebody who built one locally and meet up with them (this is another resource you can find on the CLC site).

the offset tables are really targeted to custom builders and is a way to translate designs to a sheet of wood (to make a form) in the absence of full-size plans/patterns.   so for picking a boat, 'studying' the offset tables is not really going to give you a sense of the look and feel of a boat that the line drawings, designers commentary and pictures wouldn't tell you.

best of luck.

   You did not mention how much experiance you had with canoes. If not much, a trip to an open house such as LLBean or CLC holds perioically would be good. Also, YMCA offers classes in safety and basic paddling and the instructors could offer insight to the pros and cons of the different types.

One thing to consider when building a strip boat is any mistake in lofting or construction is made more obvious by the narrow strips. This makes a kit more attractive to us newbies because if things don't fit right we're probably doing it wrong.

Do your homework. It's time well spent and part of the process. Remember to have fun and not be afraid to go for it.

   Table of offsets can be confusing and lofting even worse if you have never drawn a boat before. Usually offsets are done in ft inches  eights

i agree if you have never built a boat from scratch a kit would be a much more fulfilling experience and there will be much to learn while doing so

good luck in your adventures

Bruce

   One resourse I meant to mention was Wooden Boat magazine/store. They have a good number of plans for canoes and many other types of craft if you get hooked. The discriptions for each boat includes its characteristics, what its meant for, building material, techneque and skill level guide. They also have books on canoes and various building systems. You can spend a lot of time there exploring  the various links. It's all good but I have to take notes when I'm there so I don't get lost.