Nolan -- Thanks for this response, it will really help in my next steps. I've just finished cutting out the panels for my Merganser, and they are not a perfect as I would like them to be. Eric Schade (Shearwater Boats & designer of the Mergnaser), told me about the same thing yesterday. Don't pull the stitches to tight and look for a smooth line in the joint. Again, thanks. -- Greg

> Easiest way I know of to bevel the edges for stitching is to use a small
> hand plane. Takes about 10 minutes to shape all the panels for the entire
> boat. This isn't rocket science, so you don't need perfection. Just
> eyeballing how much bevel to give various areas works just fine, and
> results in a smooth flowing transition, which is vital. Trying to stick a
> file or sand paper between pieces as you're stitching them will result in
> inconsistencies. Giving problems with symetry across the hull, and
> problems with panel alignment along a seam. Not to mention the problems of
> trying to stick the file or sand paper through the areas that are already
> wired.

> About the easiest way I found to stitch panels together is to very losely
> join them, and work towards tighter. Starting with the bilge panel, and
> the lower two panels. Joining them very losely amidships, then bringing
> them up partway with some end stitching. Working tighter, centering the
> panels (which means snipping wires), filling the stitching, and building
> up the shape. Repeat as you go up. This allowed me to completely stitch my
> final hull (round two, because of lots of problems with panel shapes on
> round one) in a few hours. A rather bloody process btw, as you tend to
> stick yourself with the wires, especially if you are using fine wire.

> It is probably more important to be symetrical then to have an individual
> seam correct. If the boat is symetrical, it will look "correct",
> and probably track and paddle well. If it is not symetrical, it will look
> wrong, and may have an exagerated tendency to turn.

> I know where mistakes are in my boat. And there are a lot of them. But the
> boat paddles fine, and people are forever doing the "oh and ah"
> routine over it.