> I am past both stems on the Spring Run. I had a little trouble between the
> inner stems and the next stations, where the bottom transitions into the
> stems. Now, as I look at it, I cant decide if it would be easier to put
> two "keel" strips up the middle and then mate the bottom strips
> at each end as I go, or would it be easier to do the bottom strips in
> pairs and mate them together to each other?

Hi Don:

I finished the hull of my Spring Run last weekend. Ditto with the problem between the stems and the next stations, but with a couple of screws through the hull I was able to pull the strips tight against the stations again. I figure I can hide these holes when fairing the hull.

After stripping up to the "top" of the stems I started stripping on one side only, running the strips past the centre line (keel) on either end. When I had finished one side I ran a string line down the keel, then laid a strip of masking tape carefully along this line. With a hand saw I cut off the end pieces and ended up with a very straight line along the keel. I was sceptical about doing it this way, but was very pleased with the results. The tricky part comes when you switch over to the other side and you have to carefully cut/sand/shape each strip to fit. After a few strips I got the hang of it and was amazed at how close I could get the strips to fit. Nick's book has a page that outlines four different ways of finishing the hull, each has its pros and cons.

Good luck,

Warren