: For my next kayak, I plan on doing a variation of woven stripes simalar to
: the Return on the Red Fish site. Should I bead and cove strips for the
: deck? I would also like to do it with out staples, but I'm not sure if
: thats practical or even possible. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
: Thanks, Don

Hi Don, I finished a couple of Spring Runs a while back, with plenty of advise from Joe Greenly of Red Fish. He recommended not using bead and cove on the deck because of the potential for splintering and gaps as you begin to fare the deck. I have to agree with Joe, butting the strips together is best. Build without staples if you are up for it. It may take a little longer, but you will have a nicer product. Joe can give you some advise on the wood clamps to use; they are small blocks of plywood with a slot cut out at the thickness of the strips. This block can then be clamped to the forms. Good luck, and build a great boat.