: Well time for kayakaholic's update!

: Work on the GD was interrupted by a week in Jamaica on vacation and another
: week taking care of my wife.(My co-pilot had a stroke while in Jamaica on
: our 5th day there.) She is improving daily and is expected to make a full
: recovery in a few weeks to a few months.)

: Roughly two weeks worth of time on the Double yielded a finished hull.
: Not bad since here in Michigan it's been between 5 to 30 degreed and going
: stapleless has taken longer than anyone wants to wait for glue to dry.
: Time to make some headway as weather has moved into the 50's.

: Sorry no pictures of the hull (camera software problem) but if I say so
: myself she looks pretty darn good. Lines are very fair and the majority of
: the hull has been planed down. Nothing spectacular on the pattern. Started
: with WRC and finished up with a white pine "Football" and the
: last 5 strips with WRC. I do have something special in mind for the deck
: and hope to have pictures to send.

: Need some advice! Starting with 2-3 "skinny strips" for the sheer
: as the bow & stern round quickly and the "skinny " strips
: will allow for small radius at the ends. Nick's book says to install the
: centerline strip immediately after the sheer or even before, but it looks
: like you need 3 strips at least before the center strip will even touch
: the shear strips.

: Also are rolling bevels better to use instead of B&C in this area where these
: strips are meeting at such sharp angles.

: I couldn't find any closeup pictues on th BB or any web sites to show the
: orientation of all these strips. Any advice would be appreciated.

: DAVE

Hey Dave,

Sorry to hear about your wife. I'm hoping for a speedy and complete recovery for her. My Mom had what the Dr. called a mini-stroke a few years back, but was out of the hospital after only a few days and doing fine.

As far as "when to add the centerline strips" is concerned, whatever works the best for you seems to be the way to go. On my wife's Guillemot, I ran the deck sheer strip plus two more, then the centerline strips. This brought the strips to more of a horizontal, rather than vertical, orientation (just like working up from the hull sheer strips in preparation for adding the keel strips).On the Guillemot L that I'm working on now, I ran the deck sheer strip plus one, then the CL strips. Actually, on both boats its where my deck design layout started, but the centerline would have started in the same place. Whatever works best. Its like Nick told me on my first yak . . the idea is to get the forms covered with strips.

B&C or Bevel?? I use both depending on where I'm working. I'd rather use B&C, and I do everywhere that I can. But, there are places where its easier to use beveled strips, though (to me at least) they're more work. Like fitting the strips to close up a hole where both ends are fitted. If you use beveled strips, you don't have to bend the strip to "insert" the ends into position. Again, its just a matter of personal preferance.

On the ends of the deck where the strips meet at really sharp angles, I recommend taking a few minutes and a short strip and try shaping the end to fit using a B&C strip and then a beveled strip. Then go with the one that gives you the best fit (not the easiest). After all, its the fit that you'll be seeing for years to come and not how long it took to achieve it!!

I realize that I've not really answered many of your questions. But, the idea here is to point out that nothing is written in stone as far as methods are concerned. However, this is the best place that I have found to get ideas to try. Some ideas work well for some, other ideas work well for others. Thats what makes this such a great forum to visit.

Happy Building and we'll be watching for those pics!

Charles.