Reading Nicks book (THANK YOU NICK) I read about joining the top to the bottom and the use of a 2" wide strip of cloth with a 1" strip on top, both centered on the inner seam. Presoaking the cloth and rolling it in seemed like it would be a messy process, so I improvised. The following is THE WAY to do this in the future:

1. Position the bottom half of the kayak on 2 saw horses ready to join to the upper half.

2. Take a 3" wide 9 ounce cloth roll and precut for the entire length of the inner lip on one side. Then cut lengthwise for a 2" wide and 1" wide strip. Now you have a 2" wide strip the length of the seam and a 1" wide piece the same length.

3. Plu in the hot glue gun. When hot, squirt a pea size bead at the stern (inside) just below the seam and place the 2" wide strip on the bead, half above the edge and half below. Repeat every 3" working forward. Ensure as you go forward the glass cloth lays relatively smooth and wrinkle free.

4. Go back to the stern and repeat with the 1" strip on top of the 2" also centered on the soon to be seam.

5. Repeat for the other side. Now you will have cloth half above/half below the seam on both sides running from the bow to the stern.

6. Now, lift the top and place on the bottom aligning as best possible. Walk around the kayak and, using a flat piece of smooth wood, push any cloth in that is sticking out. My wife did this as I held the top about a 1/2" above the bottom until all the cloth was inside the kayak.

7. NOW, start to tape the top to the bottom, starting at the ends and working toward the middle. ENSURE the top and bottom line up front to back and side to side. The better you line them up, the less sanding you will have to do later. Also put a piece of clear packing tape from front to rear over the seams on both sides.

8. Get 2 soda cans (empty) and cut them in half so you have a top and a bottom. Throw out the tops (part with the hole in it). Ensure one bottom is about 1" deep and the other about 3" deep. Also cut 3 pieces of wood 1/2" x 1/2" x 36" - 48" long.

9. Take the 1" deep soda can bottom and glue it to the end of one of the sticks so that the side of the can is glued to the end of the stick. I used hot glue and it worked fine. This will be used for getting the resin to the ends of the hull. Take the 3" deep can end and hot glue it to the end of another stick so that the end of the stick is stuck to the inside bottom of the can. When the 3" can stands on end, the stick will be sticking straight up out of the can. Take the third stick, cut one end at 45 degrees, and hot glue a shortened chip brush to the end. This brush will be used to get to the very end of the bow and stern.

10. Position the kayak on the two saw horses so that one side (left or right) is down and the resin will lay on the inner seam cloth when brushed in.

11. Mix resin and soak the dry cloth from the center out until you can reach no more forward or back inside with your arm and a loose brush. Now mix more resin and fill the 1" deep can 3/4 full. Starting at the stern, get the stick and attached can in the kayak (without spilling the resin) and push it as far back as you can. Rotate the stick and dump the resin , pulling toward you as you go. It works best if most of the resin is at the end as the resin will run down the seam cloth to the center. Now remove the stick with the resin can (1" deep one) and get the stick with the 3" can on it. Get this in the kayak and, using the can as a squegee, push the resin forward and back along the dry cloth until it is soaked and evenly wetted. Also use the can and go side to side to ensure the resin is pushed to the edges of the cloth. The diameter of the can is perfect for this. Let the resin you have applied cure for a while so that when the bow is done it will not run.

12. Now repeat on the bow. BUT, before you go mixing resin, tilt the bow down so that the resin placed in the bow will not run to midships. The stick with the brush on it will be helpful in the bow after the "can squegee" is used so that the ends in the bow are reachable.

13. Woohoo! You now have a neatly attached hull to deck and can get working on the end pours once the resin has fully cured. Good luck.