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One of the first things I discovered was that I could buy Atlantic white cedar in logs a LOT cheaper than I could seasoned wood.
I found the logs in Cairo, GA and contracted with Bill Beety in Nags Head to saw it into 8/4 planks. But air drying to 12% moisture content would take six months or more. Commercial kilns charge high prices for custom drying and the high temperatures they use to dry the wood in a few days cook the life out of cedar.
My solution was to build a solar kiln.
This is kind of a blend of the Woodmizer design with several other plans I found in a book by Dr. Gene Wengert at Virginia Poly. Dr. Wengert is the acknowledged Guru of solar wood drying. The sides and back are insulated with R19 glass and urethane foam boards. The 1" square steel tube frame top is counter balanced with a couple of concrete blocks hanging from the back. The cover is a double layer of UV resistant greenhouse film. A small blower inflates the cover for additional insulation. Vents on the back wall and 3 thermostatically controlled attic ventilator fans maintain temperatures around 120o F even in February and control the humidity. A black poly curtain directs air down the back wall, through the stack and back up along the cover to be reheated. It took 30 days to bring the MC of a 1,500 bd ft load down from an average of 35% to 12%.
The kiln cost about $1,000 to construct and about $20 per month to run. Sense drying the wood for the boat, I have rented the kiln out six times to other woodworkers and thus far have grossed a bit
over $2,000 in rent. It is a strictly load your own so all I do is check the temperature and humidity daily. The bottom picture shows a short load of 500 bd ft of red oak.
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