A Big Glue-up
Coaming lip glue-up (front of cockpit, view toward stern). The liberal use of clamps helps to get the job done. This process is clearly explained in Nick Shade's book The Strip-built Sea Kayak. These thin strips were ripped from some 1-inch cedar strip stock on the bandsaw, and then "cold-molded" in place by using all sorts of clamps and goodly amount of epoxy resin. Start by sanding the coaming upright, then coat it with resin, then clamp a strip starting by positioning its center at the back of the coaming. A screw-clamp at the rear-center of the coaming is a great way to start the process. Clamp one side, then the other. One does not try to get all the way around the cockpit with the strips (see photo). Once the lip has hardened, the front edges of these strips are trimmed and the processs is then repeated front to back to strip-in the lip at the front of the coaming (more on this later).
Coaming lip glue-up (rear of cockpit, view toward bow).
Again, all of those clamps come in handy! Once the first
strip is clamped in place, subsequent strips are added by coating the one on the
boat with resin, loosening the rear-center clamp, and re-clamping the new strip into
position. This is done until about five to seven strips are in place. Finally, the
last strip is painted with resin.
Coaming lip glue-up (lamination detail). You
can make the lip as wide as you desire, but one really need only to have it wide
enough to firmly secure the spray skirt bungie. If one makes it wider, it needs to
be stronger, adds excess weight, etc. I have not yet decided if I will overlap and
laminate some glass cloth from the lip down into the coaming upright to further strengthen
the structure.
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