Yesterday afternoon I was happily starting the chocolate brown bow and stern sections on my One Ocean Cape Ann SLT. Unlike the hull, I decided to do the deck without staples. I discovered a safety issue with masking tape clamping that I had not heard mentioned, not even, unbelievably, on this hallowed site of kayak building expertise.

To those male builders whose reproductive years are not yet complete, I suggest that, when pulling the roll of tape downwards to tighten it onto the strip being glued in place, you stand slightly to the side so that you are pulling more toward the outside of your hip, than say, toward a more central part of your lower anatomy. Pulling straight down rather than to the side, I discovered, aims the fist and tape roll at one's private parts. If, or rather, when, the tape breaks, the ensuing groaning, moaning, and funny posture scares and confuses the cat, and the expletives, if one has the breath to generate them, can alarm one's spouse, even if she is busily engrossed in watching Oprah Winfrey at the other end of the house.

Be ye warned kayak builders, especially you younger fellows...

Yours in contemplative stripping,

Allan Edie