This is nornal to have side spring away slightly from the forms.   However, before you start to strip the deck, you need to make sure the hull is up against the forms. You can use hot glue on the offending strip to insure a good fit to the hull.  You need to keep the width aligned because after you fiberglass it will be harder to put the deck and hull together. You will lose the reference of the hull width with the deck.

Once you flip the hull/forms over and finish fiberglassing hull, you need to build wood spreader bars to help keep the hull aligned after you remove the hull from the forms. I use blue tape on the outside of the hull to write the number of the station and also note on the wood spreader bars. I then measure accurately the width of the forms and cut spreader bars.  I use 1x1 or 1x2 pine stock and cut a notch on the edge 3/16 inch wide to fit across the hull.

Why this important?  If you have a lot of variation in the width hull, when look down the sides of the kayak you will see wavy lines especially with a fine line kayak such as the Petrel!  Also, you can lose hull shape with more volume on side vs the other.

K.Greer

Thanks. Sounds good. Let me make sure I get this right.

I'll spot glue the sides of the hull back against the forms with hot melt glue.

Strip the deck. Remove the staples and separate the hull and deck from the forms.

Make spacers per your directions and hot melt glue them to the insides to hold the  hull and deck to the right width.

Glass the outsides of the hull and deck. This should set the shape.

Remove the spacers.

Glass the insides.

Join the hull and deck.

Is that right? Thanks again for your help.

Let me jump in again as I think this through.

I admit that because of the way the directions are spread out (in Nick's book, the handout with the kit and all the videos) that I'm taking this one step at a time. I read the book and the handout before I started, and then as I approach each phase, I reread them or watch Nick's videos again.

It seems like I can spot glue the hull to the forms and finish the deck. Then, leaving the hull spot-glued in place, I can flip it, sand it, and glass the outside. No? In looking at the information I have, I have the impression it's best to glass the outside first.

Then I can remove the hull from the forms, put the deck on and spot glue it in place. Then I can sand and glass the deck while it's on the forms. That way, the hull and deck should fit. No?

I then glass the inside of both, tape the inside.

However, I'm not real clear on how I reinforce the joint on the outside...tape it? 

There are these little gaps in the information that are driving me nuts. Maybe it's just me...

Anyway, I appreciate your input. Thanks again.

Bob, I have been there... your approaching this build the same way I did.

I think your approach is good,, you will find some builders will vary the steps for different reasons.

I will outline my procedures for you.  For me, I have limited space in my garage and in Florida humidity is a big problem with wood.  Also, I tried to follows Nick's book, video, and my kit notes.

1. If you have taken your hull off the forms double check and make sure the forms are fully seated down into the hull... ie touching bottom and sides, and bow and stern...

2. As noted before use hot glue to get side of hull up against the forms/stations.  I usually plane and sand down the hull from 60 to 80 grit. I do my finally sanding to 120 grit right before I fiberglass the hull or deck. ( you will be taking the deck and hull off the forms and will have some marks and minor scratches.)

3) Now, go forward and complete stripping the deck, cutout the cockpit recess, if you have one, and then glue up the horizontal cockpit recess strips, and sand, of course... we are always sanding...

4)  I first take the deck off and sit on supported horses .

5)  Overall, I fiberglass the outside hull first and then the next day the outside deck. If cannot get back to fiberglass the insides on the third and fourth day, I place the deck back on the hull/forms, and use cloth straps to make sure the best I can, that the deck and hull are touching together especially at the bow rise area.  Also, remember your hull is still hot glued.  It takes multiple days for  fiberglass/epoxy to cure, so if you go away for while you need to make sure the hull and deck are close conforming to the stations/forms.  When the fiberglass on the hull sets up you will find the those gaps had probably went away.

When fiberglassing the outside of the deck you can go one of two ways.

a) First, you can remove the hull from the forms and place them on a support horses. Now I insert my spreader bars/spacers that are marked.  Then I fiberglass the deck on the stations without the hull.  The advantages are the fiberglass seems to hang better off the sides and of course you don't need to tape the hull or deal with drips and runs.

b) Second method,, leave the hull and deck on the forms.  Tape off the hull and go ahead an fibeglass the deck. Obvious advantage is you do not have to deal with the spreader bars/spacers.  Its your choice here!

6) Next the inside hull.  I leave the deck on the forms/stations, and place the hull on the supported horses.  (I actually bought some kayak foam blocks.  They work great.)  I next sand the interior and get it prep for fiberglass.  I complete the fiberglassing on the inside hull.  Again, if I leave the hull off the forms/stations, I insert the spreader bars/spacers.

7) Again, put the hull back on the forms/stations.  On the supported horses I sand and fiberglass the inside of the deck. 

I found after fiberglassing the outsides, the hull and deck wants to curl inward like a leaf, so be meticulous with placing and keeping the hull and deck on the forms or use the spreader bars/spacers on the hull everytime your remove the hull from the forms/stations.  The best solution is to fiberglass for four consecutive days for the outside hull/deck and the insideof the hull/deck. 

 If your deck has a lot of curvation at the sheerline you can place the spreaders bars on the deck too, for example the Guillemot deck.  If you have a flatter deck or an acute angle at the sheerline, like the Petrel, you will not be able to insert the spreader bars/spacer.  Of course you will have less curling compared to the hull. 

Your kit should have a roll of fiberglass tape.  You put the hull and deck together after you build the cockpit lip, put in pegs etc.. See Nick's books and video....

good luck... K.Greer

 

 

Many thanks!