My last kayak project involved bending the plywood deck over rounded deck beams. The bending process turned out to be very difficult. During subsequent use, the deck to hull joint has come undone in two places. I realize that my bond could have been defective for some reason.

I am considering avoiding the same problem on my next project (similar to a Mill Creek 13) by making a ridge down the center of the deck rather than torturing (bending) the plywood. What I envision is using a circular saw or router to cut a straight line from the center of the cockpit to the center of the bow on what will become the underside of the deck. The cut will be one third to one half the thickness of the plywood. Then I hope to fold the plywood over a deck beam with an approximately 30 degree angle in the middle (like the peak of a roof). The next step will be to apply a 2 inch strip of glass tape down the seam. I think that doing it this way will save me the effort of torturing the plywood or stitching two pieces to make a ridged deck. I would appreciate any comments regarding 1. pitfalls I have not anticipated, 2. probable strength of the deck, etc.