If n' When II -- Deck Strips

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Once I got enough of the swirl strips in place, I was able to start stripping the deck. I started at the bow and the stern, working towards the cockpit with everything lined up on the center line. By working on several areas at once, I was able to keep busy cutting and fitting new strips as the glue dried on those just placed. Every single strip in the deck had at least one special cut, all done with a Japanese style pull saw.

As the strips got closer to the shear, I had to get creative with the clamps. Before we were done, we used strapping tape, grey tape, wedges, hot glue, and a wide variety of clamps to get the job done. On this boat, I used cove & bead, but I think I'll avoid that on the deck of the next boat. I ended up with several gaps that looked good until the boat was sanded. I guess that is what slivers of wood are for!

I marked the location of the cockpit recess before I was totally doing stripping the deck. This helped me know how long to run the strips into the cockpit area. The poster board I used for the recess pattern was easy to work with while creating it. When I got to this step, it would have been nicer if it were more limber. Not a big deal - it did the job!

I cut the tops off of the cockpit forms and reattached them with hot glue before stripping the deck like Nick mentions in his book. That made it much easier to get the upper portion of the forms out of the way before cutting the recess. At this point, the deck has had an initial fairing and sanding, and I'm ready to cut the recess.

The cockpit recess area was cut out using a pull saw for most of the distance, with a sabre saw used for the tighter corners. Once I got the wild ends out of the way, I was able to look at the profile more, and lowered the recess at the back of the seat slightly more than the pattern initially indicated. I sure have appreciated having the Outlaw hanging on the rack where I can compare deck heights, cockpit dimensions, etc.

It's back to the Port Orford cedar for the deck recess. I considered trying to put a poplar / redwood / poplar pinstripe between the western red cedar of the deck and the Port Orford cedar of the recess, but decided I'd already been fancy enough for my first attempt. Actually, I chickened out!