Hi Bill -

: Great looking boats! Good work! :

Thank you very much!

: Did you simply use the Cirrus/Merganzer plans and install extra forms, shaping them by guessing and eyeballing, for the deck stripping? How did you go about making the hull and deck meet exactly? :

I purchased the Merganser hybrid plans. Eric provides you with all the necessary form drawings and measurements. Vaclav designed the Cirrus with quite a few forms to achieve the hull shape, so I just rounded off the forms and then stripped the deck. Vaclav just told me last week that he's working on hybrid plans for the Cirrus. I hope he's working on plans for a smaller displacement Cirrus, too! You could also eyeball a design and then make your own forms. For example, I think a Pygmy Coho or Osprey Standard would look great with a stripped deck. As far as meeting the hull to the deck, the hull is completed first, so you have it as a frame of reference.

:And what is System Three LPU? To paint over the fiberglass on the hull, did you have to undercoat? :

System Three LPU is a water-based polyurethane for marine applications. I didn't have to undercoat, just prepped the hull and deck like you would for varnish. www.systemthree.com

There's no real functional reason for doing the stripped deck other than the pleasure of building it and enjoying the results. I actually think the Cirrus would have been a couple of pounds lighter than it's 40lb. finished weight if I'd done the paneled deck using 3mm okoume. No regrets, though. It was lot's of fun and I'm enjoying the boat.

Jim