Hi Apbronso2, 

you definitely want to get them to line up.  i find that sometimes you can't get there dryfitting with tape on the outside, sometimes you need to pull the sides together on the hull or deck by directly taping across the hull or deck to pull it into alignment with the other part.

first, for this effort, i use a fibreglass reinforced strapping tape.  the glass reinforcement is important to avoid stretch....there may be a lot of pressure that will stretch regular tape.

second, i lay the hull on the deck and then before taping the hull-to-the deck, i tape across the hull or deck to pull it into alignment.  its a bit hard to see in this picture, but if you look carefully at the cockpit area, you will see tape going across the inside (vs tape on the outside of the hull) that is pulling the the hull or deck togther (e.g., making it narrower).

once they are now in general alignment, i then do the final alignment with strapping tape on the outside.

it is also possible, as part of this process that you may need to insert a stick to push a hull or deck apart (wider)....to get it all to line up before strapping the deck to the hull.it may take a bit to muscle it all into place....but a good 3m strapping tape with glass reinforcement and some effort and you can pull it off.

once aligned, i then tack the hull deck togther with cell-o-fill-thickened epoxy....then after it is cured....remove and inside tape or sticks....then proceed with normal deck/hull joining process.

anyway, i hope this helps.....

h

Thanks! On the stitch and glue version, do the middle puzzle joints on the hull and deck line up from top to bottom?

the puzzle joints do not line up top to bottom across the hull and deck panels.

they always set it up to off-set them to not create a potential weakness by having all the seams line up.

fwiw, the same concept on a strip build....kind of like a wooden floor....you never end multiple adjacent strips at the same locations.

h

Getting a good fit between the hull and deck on that boat was a challenge for me.  It took a couple of days to get it ready to tape the inside.  Regarding the puzzle joints, they so line up on the CLC kit.  See pictures.  Great boat, especially in waves.

   Thank you!

Hey Mark! 
Glassing the foaming tomorrow and then it is sanding and varnish. Out of curiosity...are the hip braces supposed to extend from the bottom of the deck all the way to the hull? I lined them up as indicated in the instructions but there is a gap between the bottom of the braces and the hull. I thought it might be to allow some flex and movement but now I am not so sure.