: Having finished the Merganser (but not launched it), I thought I
: might share some of my thoughts, trial and tribulations about
: its construction.

The block plane (a very good one) did not work for me when it
: came to making an angle to fit the panels tightly. I used a hand
: sander with 60 grit, I did even try a belt sander on long runs
: and even that worked better than the block plane.

Other than above the belt sander is the enemy of kayak making,
: poor control, poor vision of what is happening and gouges parts
: of the wood when you are "not looking" I would say....
: do not use it, my use of it caused more problems than it was
: worth.

: Brian

Thanks for sharing your learning experiences Brian. Now that you are hooked, what's your next boat going to be?
I built a Merganser 17W last year, but with a hybrid deck. Eric put a photo of it in his new catalog. You can see photos and read my detailed construction blog at
http://twofootartist.com/merganser-construction-notes/
Like you, I found a sanding block easier to use than a plane when I built my first boat but, unlike you, I found the Stanley low-angle plane a joy to use when I built the Merganser. Maybe you didn't have yours adjusted properly.
Several times on my Merganser blog I described using a belt sander with the admonition that it can do a lot of damage in the blink of an eye, as you found out.
Be sure to post a photo for us when you launch.
-Wes