: curved foredeck; I think the root problem was that the front bulkhead was
: not radiused correctly against the shapes of the deckbeams on either size.
: Thanks in advance.

The foredeck on a Chesapeake actually curves quite a lot from the bow back to the cockpit-it is NOT a straight line. If you were to put a string line from the deck beam to the bow you would find that it was about 3/4" above the bulkhead.
The way to stop the gap from occuring is to put a ratchet tie down right around the hull at the bulkhead, and tighten it until the deck is pulled down so there is no gap. The plywood will try to do some interesting things as it is forced to the compound curve, so it is important to work down both side of the deck evenly as you fasten it.
So - your bulkhead curve is probably fine and next time you will know how to fix the problem.

Pete