Before I start picking my first kayak apart, let me say that I love it. I loved building it. I love paddling it. I loved getting pulled over while driving down the road when someone wanted a closer look. I love storing it on my living room wall (actually my wife's idea - I didn't object). And I can only speak endearingly, even when being critical. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about. But my God, is she heavy! 74.5 lbs. CLC-16.

Enter dilemma: I've got the hull of my wife's and a friend's boats (also CLC-16s why make one when you can do two?) stitched together and the fillets are in, but I don't want another barge if I can help it.

I'm using 1/4 luan (sp?), which is a little heavier than 3mm Ok. Maybe a lot heavier. I don't know. I know I used a little too much epoxy on my first - as many probably do on their first kayak. I believe plans called for 1-1.5 gallons, and I used 2 and some change. I remember not sanding as much as I probably should have before I glassed the hull, because... well... I wanted to paddle and not sand. I had a dookie-schmutz fill or two between the deck and hull, because my "hurry it up" didn't get the sheer clamps planed down all the way. But 74.5 lbs! (I wish more people around here built kayaks so I could see the smaller details of a careful build)

Any advice on what to do/not do/do differently would be greatly appreciated. I can't imaging how it would feel to carry even a cumbersome 50 lb. boat on my shoulder (sniffle).

Thanks.

Patrick
Kentucky, but Germany-bound!