> Hi. I've been checking in here for a while now, and picking up
> plenty of good advice. Now I have a few questions of my own. I'm building
> a Pygmy Coho, and I'm wondering if anybody has any tips for installing
> the bulkheads/hatches and rudder. I'm getting a bit ahead of myself
> because I'm only wiring the hull together now, but it doesn't hurt
> to plan ahead.

> The instructions assume you'll be installing these into a finished
> boat, but I'm wondering if it'll be easier to do it earlier. I'm thinking
> that once I've glassed the deck and glued it on from the outside,
> if I were to cut the holes for the hatches, gluing the inside of the
> deck seam would be a whole lot easier since I could then get at it
> through the hatches, instead of just the cockpit.

> I also think running the rudder cables would be easier with the
> deck off, but they have to pass through the bulkheads. Would there
> be any problems with installing the bulkheads into the hull before
> I put the deck on, or do I have to do it afterwards to ensure a good
> fit?

> How about the logistics of varnishing the finished boat? You're
> supposed to wait a few weeks to let the epoxy fully cure before varnishing,
> so do I go ahead and install the hatch straps, rudder and deck rigging
> before I varnish? How do I avoid making a mess of all this when I
> do varnish? Can I just install it temporarily (don't put epoxy on
> the screws) so I can use the boat and then remove it all when it's
> time to varnish, or is that asking for trouble (water seeping into
> the wood)?

> Please help out a clueless newbie. Has anyone written "Kayak
> Building for Dummies" yet? Maybe I'm the man for the job. :-)
> Any advice / recommendations / war stories are greatly appreciated.
> I'm hoping to have this one and my wife's Osprey Std (ordered last
> week) done in time for a week-long trip in early August.

> Thanks,

> Richard

Hi Richard,

I built a couple of Pygmy kayaks last year, a Queen Charlotte and an Osprey Triple.

Gluing the inside seam is not that big of a deal. Just follow Pygmy's instructions on making the syringe on a stick tool, allow yourself plenty of time, and you won't have any problems. Wear a respirator, and avoid an epoxy hairdo by wearing a plastic bag over your head when you are working with epoxy inside the boat.

Running the rudder cables after the boat is completed is also not a problem. The tubing is stiff enough that you can push it in from the outside of the hull. If you have a bulkhead, then you also have a hatch; you reach in through the hatch to push the tubing through the bulkhead. The stainless cable is pushed in from the outside after the tubing is fixed in place. It's also stiff enough that pushing it through is not a problem.

As far as the logistics on varnishing the boat, there are two schools of thought. If you're like me, the boat gets launched as soon as it is waterproof. Varnish, seat, foot pegs, etc go on "later". The downside is that you will be paddling all the time that the boat never gets truly finished. The other way is to wait for the epoxy to harden and finish the boat all the way before you paddle it. The epoxy needs to cure for a couple weeks to a month before you sand it so that it doesn't gum up. My Osprey , still unfinished after having used it for more than six months, has the deck fittings screwed on temporarily. I removed the fittings to varnish the deck. Since I plan to replace the pad eye fittings with recessed fittings eventually, I used hot glue instead of epoxy to cover the screw tips under the deck. I haven't seen any signs of water seepage.

I strongly advice that you wait until you have extensively paddled the boat before you add a rudder. Consider float bags and a sea sock instead of bulkheads and hatches. You can always add the rudder and bulkheads later, but removing them would not be easy. I agree with Duane- keep it simple and light.

Happy building, and let us know of your first launch.

Rick Rubio