: Any advice on the pros and cons of building the coaming before fiberglassing
: the deck of an expedition single would be appreciated.I am concerned about
: the glass creasing during the transition to vertical and having to cut the
: cloth to fit at the last minute when it is wet.My tendancy is to
: fiberglass first, then build the coaming, as this is a first time kayak -
: but I would prefer to build the coaming and then fiberglass for a stronger
: bond.What say you from experience?

My sequence was:
(1) cut the hole for the recess, (2) built the recess, (3) glassed the deck & recess, (4) cut the hole for the coaming, (5) attached the risers, (6) glassed the outside of the risers, with an overlap onto the deck, (7) built the lip, (8) trimmed the risers, and (9) wrapped glass from the underside of the deck to the underside of the lip.

In an attempt to get a more transparent fillet where the risers meet the recess, I used braided glass fibers laid in the corner instead of a thickened schmutz, and I would NOT do that again. Hard to get the braided pieces to stay put while you deal with the glass. Next time it'll be thickened schmutz. Aside from that, I was satisfied with my sequence and will probably do it that way again.