> I'm looking at installing the deck on my CLC Chesapeake 17 next week. I'm
> wondering what words of wisdom you folks have on what kinds of things I
> may want to build into my hull before installing the deck.....

Just had another idea, Roger. And I really hope this doesn't become a catalyst in another food fight --- but, for conversation's sake, do stitch and glue boats generate stress cracks over time which can result in small leaks? (Even my incredibly over-built Valley Canoe Products (VCP) "Pintail" does have some small cracks where water intrudes during a day's paddle.)

In fiberglass boats, one cure for stress crack repair is to pressurize the hull --- not a lot, or you can grow the cracks --- and spread (biodegradable) soapy water on the hull to find bubbles to localize the cracks. Seems like this could be a problem with home-builts, too.

Therefore --- and assuming I'm not proposing a solution to a problem which doesn't exist --- might it make sense to build in some sort of pressure valve (such as a bicycle tire valve) in the bulkheads to facilitate the testing of fore and aft compartments later? Might seem a little "Rube Goldberg" --- for those of you old enough to remember his inventions --- at first, but it's a small thing that could pay off later. (With VCP boats, we install a bike tire valve in an old, sacrificed "tupperware" hatch cover, and use that to pressurize the compartment. Works. From what I've read here, you hatch builders probably don't want to have to build spare hatches for something like this!)

In my CLC North Bay, the only access designed for the fore and aft compartments is a four inch deckplate in each bulkhead. So my problem is easier. I'll just buy one spare deck plate, sacrifice the cover by installing a bike tire valve in it, and pressurize the fore and aft compartments separately. No hatches to worry about on the North Bay. But with most CLC boats, this might be something to think about prior to deck installation.

Or are stress crack leaks not really a problem?

Jack Martin