: Maybe Nick will chime in here, I'm explaining a method I don't use, might be
: alot better if someone with experience with that method defends it

: Bill H.

I'll add my 2 cents since I'm just doing the end pours on my second kayak (a Pygmy Actic tern). I'm not far from Port Townsend so I dropped in to Pygmy awhile back and asked their opinion on the subject. They feel that end pours aren't a critical step (you can do without them), but they do add significant strength to the boat and they really recommend it (for Pygmy boats anyways). They also recommend doing it after the deck is attached so that the pour seals the hull and the deck together in one watertight plug. If you do the pour before attaching the deck you leave a space above the plug that can trap water for a period of time. It should eventually evaporate but the guy I talked to said he'd seen problems with boats done that way. The other reason to do it on a completed boat is that it's really very simple if you added hatches and IF you have a place outside where you can easily tie the kayak upright. (I realize that may be a big if for some folks, but with a litle inginuity you can probably think of something). What worked for me was the kids swingset (one of those redwood structures with swings and a slide, etc). I tied the kayak vertically against the structure so it was nice and secure, and placed the end in a bucket of water to keep the heat down. Looking in through the hatch it was a piece of cake to pour the tickened epoxy right where it needed to go without any mess at all. One tip - sand the end pour site before you attach the deck so you won't have to try to reach down there at end pour time.

This has worked perfectly for me and I hope yours goes well if you decide to do it. I'll see if I can attach a photo.

Ken