I have had good success just using tape to hold one strip to the next. It doesn't work everywhere, but it might be enough to hold the sheer in place until you have a few more. But the easiest thing may be a dot of hot-melt glue. Even if you are not using hot-melt elsewhere one dot will break off easily enough.

: I have just finished the bottom on my Night Herron and want to attach the
: first strip on the deck. I know that I must not glue this to the sheer
: strip, but am wondering how to begin the deck. So far I have been able to
: be staple-less, but think that this deck/sheer strip will have to be
: stapled to the hull sheer.

: The other problem is the angle that is formed on this deck at this point. It
: ranges from vertical at the cockpit to almost horizontial at the ends. Any
: help in this area would be greatly appreaciated.

You will need to make a sharp rolling bevel near the ends. There is not much of a trick to it, just plane the edge until it fits.