Continuing to make slow progress on my Hybrid Night Heron.

As CLC kayak kit builders and Nick Schade fans know, the instructions direct the builder to pour 8 oz of epoxy schmutz into the bow and stern after hull and deck are attached. This is accomplished by taking the kayak outside and then propping it up "tall" by a tree or the house. Then you have to stand on a little ladder and construct a pouring bucket that allows you to lower it into the bottom of bow and stern respectively and then dump it. This procedure sounded rather unappealing to me. While we don't have snow at the moment, around these Pennsylvania parts and around my house in particular, there are not any convenient flat areas where one could safely accomplish such a risque maneuver.

Therefore, I opted to fill bow and stern with epoxy schmutz using a somewhat less adventurous method. Wondering if anyone else has ever tried it that way?

I simply lowered the bow to the ground, leaving the other side of the kayak on its saw-horse. I arranged the hull so that the sheer near the bow was exactly horizontal to the floor. I then cut a triangular piece of plastic to fit into the bow section approximately 10 inches from the tip. After it was securely taped in place, I essentially had built a little dam which allowed me to pour the epoxy concoction into the bow "compartment" thereby completely filling it. There will be a little cavity above once the deck goes on but that can easily be filled with a little peanut-butter-consistent epoxy build up immediately prior to putting on the deck. That little trick saved me some rather unorthodox exercise and accompanying heart pulpitations.

This is my first effort in strip planking and I am pleased to report that I have learned a lot about what does not work... lessons to be applied to my next strip planking project. In the meantime here is what I've got so far:

http://cmharlan.blogspot.com