Ocassionally you will need some pressure across the thickness of the strips.

But usually no.

At the butt joints yes absolutely.

Hang on - I'm not familiar with the masking tape method, and I want to be sure I'm not misunderstanding. If you're just saying that if masking tape isn't sufficient to hold a strip in place then it hasn't been properly fitted, then sure - I'm with you. But you still need clamps, don't you?

My understanding is you need to clamp the joint with sufficient pressure to get some glue squeeze-out, but not so much that you squeeze out all the glue or distort the wood. I double-checked the Titebond site, and they call for about 150 psi. In the strip-building videos I've seen from several builders, everyone seems to be doing that - they apply glue and then use clamps to apply mechanical pressure, then rely on staples or previously-applied hot glue to maintain that pressure, enabling them to remove the clamps. Is that anything different from what you're saying?

I may have confused things because I wasn't actually doing it that way in my 2nd attempt on the stern - I have limited time during the week anyway, so while I have a couple dabs of hot glue in key areas to hold everything together I'm not relying on that for each strip. Instead, I fit one cheater or a pair of "regulars" at a time, apply glue, and then clamp it up and go to work. When I get home, after I get the kids to bed I remove the clamps and do the next one, then call it a night, etc.