: First, an introduction to what I've been working on, Then a question...

: I drew a Greenland- style kayak, 18' LOA by 20" beam. Basically, it is
: the shape and proportion of a SOF hull sized for me, but S&G construction.
: Being a one-of a kind, I'm now at the stage of adjusting the stitched hull
: to get it to fit the forms. (the preliminary offset table needs a few
: tweaks!) But I will soon be ready to fillet and glass, which brings me to
: a question.

I like the looks. How deep will it be from keel behind cockpit to the aft deck?

: Since this is a prototype, at first I planned to deck with plywood. But, I
: also want to get some experience with other building techniques, so I am
: considering stripping the deck.

Do a quick and dirty deck with plywood. Cheap, easy stacked coaming. If you like the boat, paddle it. If not (it's a prototype..there will likely be something you want to change), saw the deck off, change to suit, and build a strip deck.

: Keep in mind that in this design, most of the deck will go flat across from
: gunwale to gunwale, like a SOF. The cockpit area will have the 'hump' for
: the toes and knees.

Cool.

: How do I make sure that the deck remains properly aligned when it is finally
: attached?

This is a question that most wood composite boat builders face--Pygmy, Guillemot, Redfish, Laughing Loon....anyone who doesn't use a shear clamp. Search the archives that all relate to deck/hull alignment. In a nutshell, glass the inside and outside within days of each other so you don't have "curl" or "creep"! Then, tape inside and out. It's pretty easy if you plan well--it all comes together.

:And I also need to get more glue surface in there so I can round
: over the edge.

I used a 3/4" wide bevel strip on my Cormorant, and it came out nicely, I think. Not much weight, simple to build, looks nice, no knuckle-bashing! You could do this whether you go hybrid or stay plywood.

: What are other hybrid builders doing?

: Also, should I build the coaming before or after attaching the deck?

Doesn't matter...depends on your intentions for a coaming. Stacked coaming ought to go on after attaching. Stripped or recessed coaming will be better to build before attaching, then your internal deck glass can lap the strips.

Shawn