Hi Bill,
You should have no problems with making your own deck forms. Myrl is right, the Chesapeake is easy because it's just an arc (16" rad fore/22" rad. aft, I think). An arc shape would be a good starting point, but you may need to adjust the height in order to fit inside. For kicks, just start with cardboard, and cut some arc shaped pieces that fit between the sheers. Duct tape to hold them in place, then hold a long straight wood strip (any size) to see if the cardboard forms are fair. Adjust until satisfied, then copy/cut the temporary forms out of some scrap plywood (3/8"-3/4") and use angle brackets to attach them to the sheerclamps (if you install sheerclamps). Check again, over and over, and adjust to make it look good. If all looks fair and you are comfortable with the size/height of the cockpit, start stripping. Keep in mind that you will not have the exact same volume as was designed, but it should be close. The deck shape should have little affect on how the boat performs, other than the higher deck will catch more wind, but will also hold more gear. When I tried this technique with a 0.33 Cirrus model and used the same sizes as my Chesapeake, the deck came out very low. At full size you would never fit in the cockpit. On my full sized Cirrus, I used the supplied forms, but rounded them off slightly. It's personal preference, not rocket science.

The number of these forms needed is also up to you. The more forms, the harder it is to make them all line up, but will be more pleasurable to work with. The fewer the forms, the easier it is to fair them, but you may find it necessary to add more later. Unless the shape is very complex, you could get by with 18"-24" spacing.

The S&G/strip hybrid is still my favorite building method. Once the plywood is scarfed and cured, you can have the hull stitched and filleted in a day. Instant gratification. It looks like a boat. Then take your time stripping the deck. Stripping the deck probably takes just as long as on your Guillemot, but the time savings are in the quick build hull. And then when you scratch and gouge the bottom, just a dab of touch up paint and you're done.

A couple of sites that you don't want to miss are those by Bill Price, Jim Kozel, Shawn Baker and Myrl Tanton (once it's up again) (...Hey I look forward to your trip report/pics Myrl). These guys have built some fantastic hybrids.

Give it a try. I'll get some photos up soon of my Cirrus projects for you to see the difference between the two decks. If you run into a snag or have questions, feel free to email me, I try to check my mail daily.
SMF

: Having just finished my Guillemot, and learning what not to do next time ...
: I have been asked to build an 18-ft canoe for a friend. The plans call for
: a four-panel S&G process so it will be a learning experience as well. My
: question is; how difficult will it be to build the hull of my next kayak
: S&G and stip the deck? When discussing this with a designer (I think .. I
: have lost his email address and his reply) he said he would work up a set
: of plans for a hybrid. Having misplaced his address/name I have to start
: over again. HELP.
: Thanks in advance ... oh, and my first attempt at kayak building may have
: some well hidden mistakes but she likes the water and paddles like a
: dream. The last time I kayaked it was in the waters of SE Alaska ... the
: local Queensland, Australia rivers and lakes are much more inviting.
: Bill