: Very nice boat, John. I like the way you worked the coaming and day
: hatch into the rear deck.

Thanks! It was a fun project, with lots of new (for me) challenges, interesting combination of glass fabrication and wood strip.
I'm not sure I'd do it again, but it has given me the confidence to put my Mariner Express into the shop and start on hatches/bulkheads on it.

: And thanks for showing the paddle holders. I had given up on
: carrying a spare paddle on deck in heavy surf. This solution
: looks like something that would actually work.

I needed to stow a paddle on another boat (I like to keep the back deck clear if possible), so I picked up the NorthWater 'Paddle Britches". There's really no comparison.
The 'britches' may (just) do the job in practice, but they feel very 'floppy'. They are also a bit of a PITA to rig on the deck lines to make sure they won't slip around.
I was talking to David Thompson last week (altakayak) and he was saying that he has developed a simpler version of the holders, for folks who want something less expensive. Give him a call to get the latest info.

I first saw the Altakayak CF holders on Shawna Franklin's kayak when we were taking a class at BodyBoatBlade.

BTW, David's CF holders are comprised of a CF shell (vacuum molded) with a CF tube bonded inside. My version is just a fiberglass tube (tinted resin) with flat fiberglass plates epoxied on the sides and ends.