I described the methods Eric used to make decorative strips in my book. The pictures in the book are pictures Eric took. The flexibility issue will depend on how wide a strip you make and how much upward curvature you are planning. Wider strips will be less flexible. If you need to work hard to bend a regular 3/4" wide strip in place, you will have trouble bending a fancy assembled strip to do the same thing.

: At the Newfound Rendezvous, I saw a boat with a very impressive decorative
: strip below the shear line. I believe it was one of eric shades boats.
: Anyway, it was made with a series of trapazoids and triangles. I would
: like to do something similar to that and was wondering if anyone could
: shed some light as to how is the best way to accomplish putting on such a
: strip.
: Would it be best to construct a 19 foot strip consisting on trapazoids and
: triangle and hope that it has enough flexibility to conform to the hull
: shape or as I read in Nicks book, only glue the bottom edges of the shapes
: to a long strip so as to retain flexibility.
: Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks - Steve