Terry:
I built a recessed cockpit into my Great Auk. To do so I laid my original cockpit pattern on a large piece of kraft paper and, using a compass, traced around the pattern, adding an inch all around. I then made a point at the front and back one inch past the end and drew a tangent line from the point to the edge of the pattern. It came out well.

My website has the progress detailed out with pictures.

Regards,

Marcel