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Trimming of 3/4 to 1 inch from the sides - bow to stern
- After gluing the sheer clamps I discovered by re reading the plans that the
height at the back of the coaming between the hull bottom and coaming rim will be 9
in. I find for me, that the best height there is 8 in. I decided to trim the
side panels to achieve that height. The 8 in height allows me to lay back further on
the rear deck when rolling.Made a 2ft X 19ft workbench with 4 saw horses and 1/2 in
plywood
- I used a stretched string from bow to stern as a guide. I trimmed 3/4 in at
the stern and gradually increased it to 1 in at the rear bulkhead.
- Using a saber saw I trimmed the panels one at a time
- I contacted CUC about my plan, and they said I would have to modify other pieces
if I did it.
- Well it is the first kayak I'll make, so why not treat this as a learning
experience.
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Space at bow due to trimming sides - added a spacer
- It would take a lot of force to tie the bottom panel to the side panel.
- I made a and inserted a small spacer instead of using excessive force.
- This wold be the first modification needed due to the sidepanel trim.
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Wiring the stern
- For the second modification, I had to shorten the stern by 4 inches.
- I decided to shorten the stern sidepanels at the bottom only so the deck would
remain at the original dimensions.
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More wire ties
- I made a gage out of a wood block to mark the locations of the wire ties.
- I didn't count them, but there were more than I had imagined there would be.
- I twisted the wires as tight as I could without breaking them.
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Gage block
- Gage block to mark the locations of the wire ties.
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Fitting the deckbeams and bulkheads
- Installed some of the deckbeams and bulkheads to realize the shape of the kayak.
- I had to modify all deckbeams and bulkheads as the angle of the sidepanels was a
bit steeper now due to the sidewall trim.
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Modified the bulkheads to compensate for trimming of sidewalls
- I made new front and rear bulkheads without a cutout in them for an inspection
plate as I am installing VCP hatches. There were no hatches provided for in the kit.
- After this I used a screwdriver to push each wire against there respective joint
so the wires could be covered by the fillets.
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Benny likes to help
- Benny wants to go paddling.
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Curry likes to help too
- Curry has found a great place to follow the action.
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Checking and removing any twisting
- I followed the method suggested in the CUC Stitch and Glue construction guide to
check and remove any twist in the hull before adding the fillets
- I made sure that the bars at each end were level when checking for twist.
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The bow is strapped down while removing the twist
- I couldn't get either Benny or Curry to hold the bow while I turned the stern.
I found it necessary to secure the bow while moving the stern to remove any
twist in the hull.
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