At one kayak symposium I attended I saw an absolutely horrendous Pygmy Osprey. Lumpy epoxy, bulging overlaps of yellowish fiberglass cloth, shoddy varnish -- and a "Jolly Roger" (skull-and-crossbones) flag on a small toilet plunger bungee'd to the aft deck -- it had the most character of any boat there!

Dean

: I was at the Southwind Kayak Expo this weekend at Newport Beach, CA and saw
: several wonderfull wood boats and got a lot of good advice but mostly
: inspiration. I am nearing attaching the deck too the hull of an Osprey
: STD, worrying about how percisely they will go together and what else I
: could do now before the deck is attached.
: One fellow with a perfectly finished painted Artic Tern (his fourth boat
: building effort)was kind enough to show me his first boat--looks a lot
: like mine with drips, spots and the like. Maybe by my fourth boat........