: As long as you plan to wear a spray skirt you could conceivably cut the
: cockpit all the way down to the sheer. However, I am having trouble
: visualizing your problem. It is possible that with a little extra sanding
: or planing you can fair out the problem area. I would not cut the hole any
: bigger than necessary. Look for other options first.

Nick,

The problem is in the rear corner of the area to be cut out for the coaming recess. The strips that run from the front deck around the side of the cockpit do not run at an angle that is compatible with mating with the strips run parallel to the centerline on the rear deck. Since the rear deck is relatively flat, the strips running around the cockpit area approach at a higher angle (they are also at least 1" wide so they don't bend that well). This is strictly due to the stripping method I chose and the width of the strips. 1-1/2" lower, the strips that I ran parallel to the sheer are fair. I'm sure that I can fill in the gap somehow (probably a scarf of some sort), but if I cut the recess lower or possibly an inch or two farther back, it will be cut out and will not detract from the look of the strip design. If I had paid more attention to the size of the cutout, this could have been avoided. Most of the paddling I do will be on flatwater, so I won't be using a spray skirt in those conditions. That is why I am questioning how much lower I can go. Maybe the more appropriate thing to do is cut the recess about an inch or two farther back. I'm guessing that moving the recess back an inch or two will not affect the placement of the actual coaming. If you don't think I should alter the size of the recess, then I will fix the problem. Thanks for your input.

Kurt