Previous post:
: I don't see why a lam should be any stiffer - or stronger - than an
: equivalent piece of solid wood. The glue has no tensile
: strength. But I agree about the extra hassle of laminating
: compared with steaming.

*******
: Hi,
: With laminating, the outer face of each piece is longer than the
: inner one when piece is curved and each face of laminates is
: held fixed to the one it's glued to. That prevents the layer
: from straightening, hence stiffer. It works for straight beams
: as well, many long wooden beams in construction are now
: laminated for that reason as well as it being more stable for
: the same reason.
: Most modern glues are actually stronger than the timber so cope
: with sheer stresses better than the wood.

: Hope this helps
: Mike Savage
: South West Cork

Mike is correct about the 'strength/stiffness' issue.
I have used both laminated (two layers only, over a curved form, glued with epoxy) and solid(heat-bent) sides in acoustic guitars.
At the same thickness, the laminated side is much, much stiffer than the heat-bent side.

For thicker curved beams (too thick to bend? masik?) a laminated beam will always be stronger than a sawn one with short grain, or a steam-bent beam. Of course, in a kayak the thicker deck beams aren't near their breaking point, I think.
Steam-bent frames in sailboats have provided steady work for restorers/repairers for years, laminated beams: not so much.

For SOF boats, steam-bending has the advantage of speed over making many laminating forms and I think it makes sense there.

Cheers
John