> 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?

Once I got past the stems on my Wee Lassie II canoe, I ran a single "keel strip" down the center of the boat, as Mac suggests in his book. I ripped this strip form a piece of 1/4" purpleheart. Rather than rip it at 3/4", I ripped the thing at about 3/8". Then I just continued stripping the hull on each side where I'd left off. It was pretty easy to get a good fit along the keel strip, and the strips lined up with each other nicely from sid to side (if there was any mis-match, the keel strip disguises it well). I wound up with the bottom looking like the "football" - type pattern, with one very dark and narrow strip running parallel along the keel. The external stems are also purpleheart (won't do that again!), and there is a narrow center strip of purpleheart on the fore and aft decks (I made the bow and stern decks about 22" long). Anyway, it tuned out looking nice and stripping the bottom that way went easily. garland