> Hi Dan,

> Once you stitch & glue your hull, just put in some extra deckbeams to
> staple into. They wouldn't have to be as heavy as the ones you put in
> front of the cockpit and at the bow. Cover them with tape, and just start
> stripping just like you would a stripper on forms. Then, pull your
> staples, sand and glass the outside of the deck, pull it off, and sand
> & glass the inside. You probably wouldn't have to glass the entire
> inside, especially if you leave the stripping deckbeams in and epoxy the
> deck to them. I'd certainly glass the inside in front of and behind the
> cockpit, where you put a lot of stress on the deck doing re-entries.

> Also, by stripping the deck, I'd be able to put in a recessed cockpit that
> would be more comfortable to lean back in to roll. (and looks cool, too!)

> I really, really, really wish I'd done this with my boat, except I was in
> a hurry to have something to paddle! After I build my second boat, I'll
> probably tear off the deck of my first boat, the Ches. 17, and strip the
> deck. I don't have time to work solid on a project, so I hate the thought
> of having a month off without a boat!

> Did I make any sense of all this? :)

Absolutely. The boat that is still in my dream stages (mostly because I don't have a place to build it) is a CLC Northbay with a stripped deck. If (or I should say when) I build I'll try and come up with some drawings of the temporary deck forms at 1 foot (or whatever) intervals that others could use.

I've also been keeping my eyes out for an old fiberglass boat that's had it's deck cracked. Cut off the deck, add a shear strip, temporary deck forms, and strip a deck to create a unique wood/fiberglass composite.