Outfitting

Normally, I find outfitting to be the most fun of the build. This time, while it was still fun, I felt a little time pressure.

I covered the carved seat with spandex.

I decided to put the hatch toggles on the sides of the hatches. It doesn't seem to matter much, but I was pleased to find that a 7/16 weatherstrip seals it nicely. i used a simple knotted line for a grab.

Foredeck lines. I think/hope that these will hold my compass & GPS.

Simple knotted line for carrying loops.

A popular type of backband.

This type of backband has two straps in the back to hold it up. I didn't want to make a mess trying to cut slots in the cockpit coaming, so I just drilled holes & used cable ties.

Carving The Seat

I probably wouldn't have made a blog entry about something as "pedestrian" as carving a seat, but I found a trick online that made it  much easier.
I basically botched the first attempt at varnishing-room to cold, uncooperative weather, re-coating too soon, etc, so I felt that I needed something that I could do in the meantime. 

I simply googled "carving a foam seat", and found a totally different way to do it. "Everybody" says to use the angle grinder, but I find the thing too damned hard to control- it has  too much power. The home made gizmo on the right is an old hacksaw blade folded in half & screwed to a board. Using it like a shave hook, it carves the foam quickly & easily. The surform rasp & sandpaper finish the job.

Side-by-side view of the Cape Ann , with (what I hope is) the final coat of varnish, and the Outer Island being re-varnished. The C.A. is of much higher volume than I imagined. I had originally planned for it to be a smaller "go-to" boat for "weekday use", but its considerably larger in volume than the O.I.

More Cockpit Work

After the recess was done, I decided to lay up layers of plywood for the riser. It worked O.K, my spray skirt fits, but I decided that I hate the look of the plywood layers.

This is going to be painted.
Also, after cutting out the hatches, I found that I had made quite a mess with drips & runs of epoxy while joining the hull & deck. Grind, Scrape, Sand, etc. However, I can see that this kayak is going to have quite a bit of carrying capacity.

The coaming & lip primed & painted with polyurethane paint. I found it easier to varnish the cockpit recess without having to varnish the coaming & lip. That was always the site of annoying runs & drips.

Cockpit Recess

I decided to go a little "fancy" here. I didn't want to lay up a zillion little strips like last year, and I was out of cove-and-bead material anyway.

I made the cockpit rim first, and traced a cutout. I had the idea  of making a plywood insert, but it was too hard to bend & shape to the hole. 

This is what I went for instead-a whole bunch of horizontal strips. It was fairly easy.

After all those little strips were in place, I sanded it all down, cut out a rough opening, and fiberglassed inside & out. It takes out the across-the-boat curve, but there is still a considerable fore-and-aft curve near the back of the cockpit.