: Dan, the plans likely say you need 100 hours to build this kayak
: but it has taken much longer. Many of us have been where you
: are. May I suggest not adding any new complexity to the build.
: Complete the kayak to plans with plywood and go paddling. Your
: boat will be beautiful and you will still spend a lot of time in
: the carpark with strangers who start off with "did you
: build that yourself?"

: Jon Mortimer

If you have a boat to paddle in the meanwhile I wouldn't discount a strip deck. Jon is right in that it will will probably be simpler to go with ply, but making a strip deck is a lot of fun and a great learning process.

You don't need deck formers every foot. Spaced at 18 to 22 inches works just fine if you use spring clamps between forms to keep the strips aligned. Fewer forms will make it easier to get fair curves. They also don't have to be evenly spaced if you are doing it yourself, just put them where you need them most.

If you have starting points for the deck shape, in the form of the bulkheads and designed shapes for deck beams, you are half way there. Install those and run some heavy (not too bendy) strips across them and then fill in as required with further formers.

If the coaming is designed with rings or half rings you can most likely make them work on a strip deck. You may have to cut full rings in the middle to get them to lay flat. You can always jazz up a ply coaming with a final laminate of strips

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