: Hi Folks.

: I've recently discovered that my hull is too wide (or, my deck too narrow).
: That is, when I slapped the deck onto the hull, and then went to tape the
: two together, they don't match exactly. Portions of the hull are anywhere
: from 1/16 to nearly 1/4 of an inch too wide, even with pressure applied.
: So, my question is: How to rectify this? I'm guessing I either make the
: deck wider, or the hull narrower, or do a little of both. My immediate
: thought is to get some strap-clamps of some sort and use those to apply
: pressure to the hull to line things up.

: Any ideas? I've got to store this for 2-3 months as I'm in the process of
: moving, so ....

: Rick Brannan
: http://www.supakoo.com/rick/kayak

Pick up a couple of ratchet straps/binding straps, and use to pull the sides together. Place a piece of cardboard behind the ratchet so it doesn't damage the finish. Also place some cardboard pieces under the strap next to the shear line in the area where the hull needs to be squeezed in. You should be able to leave it together like this for as long as you need to.

For those in the progress of building. Try to keep the hull and deck on the forms as long and as much as possible. Even after glassing the exteriors, and say your in the process of sanding the interiors, but still a few days or weeks from glassing the interior, place back on the forms and strap or bungee the deck to the hull with the shear alingned. Especially if you can't get to the interior for a while.

Also and most critically is just after glassing the interior and the epoxy is still "green", bungee the deck and hull back together making sure its aligned at the shear. This will almost certainly ensure that things will fit like a glove when it comes time to join the two permanently.