WE'RE RIGHT HERE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL!

I haven't heard of the Skimalong II -- if you have links to some pictures, please post some...

1/8" isn't too thin. George Roberts routinely builds decks and hulls with 1/8" strips, and after sanding they're slightly less. Most of our kayaks have curved decks, and the curvature adds a bit of extra stiffness compared to a flat panel. You might want to add a few reinforcement beams cross-wise in front and aft of the cockpit, and maybe fore and aft of your hatches, if you are adding them. If you add beams, make them of pine or some other lightweight wood and don't make them too deep so that you take up precious cargo space. Another option would be to add an additional layer or 3 of glass on the underside of the deck in strategic locations, like around the cockpit.

Dean

: I AM IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING MY FIRST KAYAK (SKIMALONG II} AND I HAVE HAD
: SOME DIFFICULTY ASSEMBLING THE DECK. THE PLANS CALL FOR 3/16" STRIPS
: ASSEMBLED ON A FLAT SURFACE IN HALVES THEN JOINED IN A JIG. I HAD A HARD
: TIME KEEPING THE STRIPS FLAT WHILE GLUING AND BY THE TIME I WAS DONE
: SANDING EVERY THING FLAT THE DECK WAS 1/8" THICK. WILL THIS BE TOO
: THIN FOR A DECK OR SHOULD I BUILD UP THE THICKNESS BEFORE GLASSING IT
: OVER. THE PLANS CALL FOR FOUR STYRAFOAM DECK BEAMS GLASSED TO THE BOTTOM
: OF THE DECK BUT I AM AFRAID THIS WILL NOT HELP MATTERS. I COULD USE SOME
: SUGGESTIONS.