Thanks Rob,

As said this recurve "design feature" with its extremely narrow/fine ends is really annoying when contemplating the glass work (that I like to think I am fairly good at.), I was seduced by the design on paper.

The only reason I was thinking of the sealcoat was to manage, avoid the possible color tone change, in the bias to main cloth transition if I had to put more fill on it than I would normally want. However, I think I have (currently) convinced myself to go the single piece route as you suggest. As you can see from the attached pic (obviously not ready for glass) it has an interior stem feature. I like the pencil marking approach but to do that I would have to attach a stick to the pencil to get all the way in, mark then cut and try to lay the glass back in along either side of the stem. I see the inevitable multiple loose strands at the edge leaving a mess that would be very tough to clean-up in the narrow space. Perhaps if I used the "drape the cloth over the outside of the boat" technique to get an approximate cut dimension and then I could lay it into and up the sides of the stem, let it set, and cut the surplus with a razor blade on a stick along the base of the stem where they meet the strips?

All this to preserve a uniform matt finish on the inside of the boat, but thats what I want, the way it should be, for multiple reasons.

Alternately as you and ET suggested the fall back is a design feature. As unhappy as I am with this design for stripping perhaps I should just go straight to the design feature, spray up the ends with a chop gun and slap in a bulkhead.

Bruce