Beautiful!!!

Here is the back deck of the SWH I am working on for my wife... who loves Navajo motifs... your design would be right up her alley too.

Having fun, aren't we?!

Nice job Chris! You do good work- I dared not take such a close-up photo at this point in the build.  Are you matching this pattern in the front?  Its going to be a shame to cut through for the hatches.

Yes, fun indeed.

Hickory

After much deliberation and doodling I ultimately came to the conclusion that the design I liked the most for the front is the wonderful Navajo design David Fawley used on the CLC display model of the SWH 16 (with CLC's blessing).

So you might say that the back deck design is the counterpoint to the front. In many ways it is the opposite of the front with the exception of one element that connects the two: the consistent 3:1 peaked angle (approx 18.5 degrees). I started with 2:1 angles but found them a bit too "chubby" for the look I wanted. 

The way the back hatch will fit the interferance will be minimal and I am planning to do the same invisible hatch hold down as I did on my Night Heron.

It took me several days before I plucked up enough courage to cut hatches into my Night Heron. In the end all worked out.

I'll post a pic of the front later!

Here is the front deck...

Looking very good- she's going to like it. 

I'm goingto have to spend some time looking over your N Heron blog- great source for those of us learning the techniques of working with these strips- thanks!

For the Night Heron I came up with a design that should not have been tried by a novice stripper. It involved a lot of serious bending of strips. Let's say that I learned a lot about what wood does not like to do. Thankfully, in the end  the result was rewarding and - OF COURSE - the Night Heron paddles like a dream.

That's the thing about boat building... once you have built one and gained some heard-earned experience you'll be inclined to want to apply that experience on another build.

The Shearwaters have a less complicated deck shape and I am staying away from a curved design even though my drafting pen kept wanting to go in that direction.

It's a mild day here in PA and today I'll go paddling - not building.

Cheers ~~~ Chris

Well, I did a quick build Nov-Jan because we have decided to move south- Seattle to Santa Cruz, so this Shearwater Sport Hybrid will ply the kelp forests of the Monterey Bay.  I've still got to do the the finish work including a final coat of epoxy, hatches, deck rigging and varnish, but I got her road worthy in 2 months. 

Very cool to work with the cedar strips, which is new to me.  I'm pleasantly surprised the defects of the build aren't more readily visible.

When all done later in the spring, I'll post final pics.

Cheers, Hickory

Beautiful execution, Hickory!!!

How did you do the center strip(s) and the ornamental detail?

Chris

Wow, that looks great Hickory.  I was hoping to see it in person, but it looks like you've moved on to warmer waters.  We were down in that area over the weekend and enjoyed a nice, warm, sunny paddle in January.  Much nicer than breaking through the ice on the lake to paddle (which my husband did the week before while I chose to take the dog for a walk - I'm such a weenie!)

Kathy

Thanks Chris.  For the center inlay, I made the king plank in the usual manner.  Once it was glued up, but not yet installed, I took a 1/4" chisel (sharp), and gouged out a shallow track using a metal straight edge to help keep me lined up.  It looked pretty rough while I was doing it, but came out pretty well.  I got the inlay strip for pretty cheap- inlay.com I think, or something like that.  I held off on glueing in the inlay until just the moment before i put down the fiberglass, so I wouldn't sand it, or otherwise mess it up.  I came within seconds of forgetting to put it down before glassing.  That would have wrecked my day!

Kathy, thanks as well.  I had been looking forward to seeing you this coming summer, and joining the Seattle Kayak club that you told me about, but our plans have changed, and we will be moving south in about a month.  Paddle on!

Hickory