You know more than you're letting-on It is scary isn't it? You can make the miters meet on the outside edges and leave the gaps behind and underneath... it will still look good. I did that on my boat. I can never hit it right with the saw. I usually cut it long and dress up the joint with my block plane. Then, once I get a good fit, I have a lot of ways to get the correct length; I can even resaw the miter using the first one as a guide to help me see how the angles work.

: Whoa, mitering is definitely NOT my strong suit. I pretty much have no idea
: what I'm doing. :-) But I hung in there with it this weekend and think
: I've got it figured out. There are way too many angles to mess with up in
: those ends.

: Instead of trying to bring both sides of the inner gunnels together in a
: point in the bow and stern, I'm taking one side all the way into the end
: and then butting the other into it. Might not look quite as classy, but
: way easier to pull off and gives me more room for error.

: I've got one gunnel fitted very well into the bow. It took two tries but I
: had extra length to play with. Now I have one shot to try it on the stern
: and if I miss, I can cut it short and use it as the butting piece on that
: end.

: This is the part (the fittings) I've been the most afraid of since I don't
: have any real woodworking experience, but so far so good. I just cut
: conservatively and sand rather than try to hit it right with the saw.

: Edging ever closer to the water,

: Patsy