: When you skin a deck which has square-cornered openings, as you
: have in the back of your cockpit and the "well" You
: end up cutting the fabric of the skin at a 45 degree angle to
: fit it into that corner. The technique works, but it doesn't
: give you the strongest of corners. Why not eliminate some of
: those corners? Make your cockpit and well as one single opening.
: If the back of the well is curved, rather than with square
: corners, you might get away without slitting the fabric at all.
: Rather than using thin plywood for your deck you can use a solid
: board between the paddler and the well. Insert it after you put
: on the skin.

: Steam bend a 1x4 or 1x6 to match any deck curvature and it will not
: only be a decorative element, but it will serve as a structural
: deck beam, replacing the single thwart usually found in roughly
: that position in open canoes. And, it will be a very strong base
: for attaching bungees. You might even do some decorative work on
: it with a scrollsaw, or just drill some holes, opening areas
: through which you can pass cords or bungees. With a wide, thick
: deckbeam providing all the structural support the center of the
: deck needs, you can use very thin stock for framing the rest of
: the deck--all it is going to support in the deck fabric, and
: maybe serve as a surface to drive staples into if you attach the
: fabric that way.

: How wide are you going with the beam. I can't read it on your
: drawings.

: That tarp material Yost uses is 17 ounces. It would be another
: option, and probably as strong as you'd want. Easy to patch,
: too, if you get a small puncture from a snag in those streams.
: And you don't have to paint it. The boat would be in the water a
: week sooner!

: Just some thoughts

: Good luck with your project.

: PGJ

Hi Paul,

Pretty easy to add a patch of material either over the corner or under it to strengthen it. Coamings of this shape were once pretty common on kayaks, I've paddled several, and worked fine. Also a trim piece of wood can be added inside the coaming for extra support.

Bill H.