Actually, taping the inside shear seam is the norm for most wood kayaks. One way to get around it is to do like CLC does, install a shear clamp on the sides of the hull and nail the deck on.

You really need some sort of reinforcement on both sides of that shear joint -- either fiberglass or wood. (or exotics like kevlar)

I'd recommend the method Jay Babina uses to tape the inner shear. Before laying your deck on, place your inner shear fiberglass tape all around the shear, and hold it in place with small dots of hot-melt glue every 6" or so. Position the tape so that 1/2 is on the hull and 1/2 is sticking above, to be bonded to the deck. Put you deck on, make sure the tape isn't poking through the joint anywhere, and tape the deck down with strapping tape. Then tip your kayak up on its side, go in through the cockpit and hatch openings (if you have them), pour epoxy down the shear and brush it around with a cheap bristle brush on a stick -- you will need to cut the handle of the brush to get way down in the bow and stern. Do one side with the bow lowered, to make it easy for the epoxy to flow down to the bow, then tip the stern and repeat. Wait until it cures, and do the other shear. It's really not all that bad. A headlight is handy, as is a respirator for working in such confined quarters.

Dean

: Hello everybody,
: has anybody built the kayak following the free s&g plans from guillemot??
: Is there no other way to join the deck to the hull but taping the inside?
: It sounds extremely akward. Aren´t several glas layers on the outside not
: enough?
: Thanks for the inputs?
: Joaquin