I've been an avid BWCA enthusiast since my father introduced me in 1987 at the age of 5. I spent summers up there and during high school worked for a friend of ours who runs a guiding business up there. I try to go every year. I'm used to big Minnesota IIs loaded down with gear. I love em. If I could handle one solo on the waters I'm riding right now I would stick with mine. Unfortunately during college and since I've been stuck in Indiana riding the rivers and lakes here fishing. It definately isn't as great as the BWCA but it gets me by.
Anyway, I'm finally getting to the point where I do most of my fishing and paddling solo. Or I may have one of my dogs with me to keep me company. I don't like kayaks because I'm used to canoes where I can sit up high and I just like the way they paddle. I've been looking around here and there are a few options under a grand that I'm lookin at but the problem is that they're all heavy as heck and would not be fit for a solo trip to the bwca. So I'm also considering the possibility of building my own canoe. I've looked at books that cover the subject and having had an engineering degree and experience as a carpenter I'm thinking I could do it. I just wanted to find out if anyone had any suggestions on models to look at or what you guys could tell me. I'm thinking of goin ahead and buying this one from dicks for 400 and then buyin the stuff to build my own. But any input would be welcome.

If you're seriously thinking about building your own canoe go here: (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
I doubt if there's anyone alive who knows more about cedar strip canoe building than Ted Moores.  He's literally built them for Prime Ministers (Trudeau) and Kings (or at least kings in waiting - Prince Charles.)  If you really want to go whole hog and can get yourself up to Peterborough ON, Ted offers hands on canoe building workshops.  In any case, as you can see on the web site he offers a nice selection of plans plus he offers videos and at least one book that walks you through the process step by step.

PS: The Freedom 17 makes for an excellent flat water tripping canoe.

"I'm thinking of goin ahead and buying this one from dicks for 400 and then buyin the stuff to build my own. But any input would be welcome."

bad idea - buying a hog from Dick's, that is.  Why handicap yourself?

I'd sugest buying something like a Rx wen Argosy ($1100 msrp) - at 47 lbs, not too heavy for BWCA and a decent boat for moderate rivers.  Or Mad River Freedom Solo - msrp around $1300 - 55lbs.   If you want to build a boat go ahead, but this way you'd have a fairly decent boat to use in the meantime, and you could likely sell it for $750 or so a couple of years later if you want to get rid of it.

Or even better, keep an eye out on Craigslist and Paddling.net for other boats - used composite boats can often found for decent price. 

see this - Argosy for $850
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At one point, Bell was making Rx boats for Dicks - depends on what kind of boat you are looking at, but I don't think any of the better hulls were available for $400 - I definitely recommend not buying short and fat if you have any other options.

I'd say do neither...yet.

Rent.  Rent as many different solos as you can get your hands on.  Find out what you like.  Then buy/build that.

My personal favourite solo is the Argosy.  $450 is a steal.