Removing the deck

Today I took the deck off the forms for the first time. It is very fragile and I have to be very careful not to break it. I swear that it feels like it can't weigh more than five pounds. The color looks a little bla bla but when I wet the wood with water, the colors come alive and it looks great.

The deck is sanded smooth. Next I will mix some epoxy with some wood flower and fill in some cracks and holes. Then I will sand it smooth again.

The strong back and forms are for another kayak. The Petrel. www.louskayakworks3.blogspot.com

This photo shows how the tip of the bow sweeps upward. Click the photo to enlarge and the sweep shows up better.

To the left of the deck is the hull still on the forms. Tomorrow I will fabricate two stem pieces for the bow and stern. Then I can start fairing and sanding the hull.

Cockpit recess

It has been almost a month sense I last posted on the Guillemot progress. Construction of the hull and deck is finished. I just finished the cockpit recess today.

Now it is time to start fairing and sanding. I have a shop vac connected to my orbital sander. It does a great job of catching all the dust so that I can sand in the man cave. I like to sand outside but it is only 6 degrees today.

After all the fairing and sanding is finished, it will be time for the fiberglass and epoxy. The cockpit combing will not be started until after the deck is all glassed up.