: Just brainstorming as I sew the seam on my kayak...what about
: sewing a flat seam along the keelson then covering it with a rub
: strip. By sewing along the keelson it would be a piece of cake
: getting it perfectly straight. I would screw the wood/rubber
: strip on but I wouldn't want to glue it as that would make
: replacing the strip difficult if not impossible without damaging
: the skin. Perhaps some cocking under the strip?
: Any thoughts?
: What about aesthetics; Does the seam make the boat we all love?

I've always sewn along the deckridge as I see no reason to have the potential for an
underwater seam that can potentially leak. A one piece hull is the goal.

Plus, no underwater seam means no need for additional strip to seal it. I've always
added a temporary thin woodstrip or thin aluminum rod or tube at any open sections of the deckridge
as a guide for sewing.

If you don't like the look of a sewn deckridge seam, a cloth rub strip glued along the deckridge will smooth things out.

Sewing along the gunwales seems a good way to go also. Below is a pic of a sewn and then cloth strip covered deckridege
on a nylon / hypalon coated skin.

Regards, Tom