Major Change Of Plans

I have decided not to build the Dark Star.
When I have trouble making up my mind, I tend to "list & evaluate" the factors that would push me to a decision.

In favor of the Dark Star:
Different
Light weight
Challenging
Small Material Usage

Against the Dark Star:
"Fussy" , unfamiliar building techniques, like the stern mini-deck, fershlugginer Bifurcated Bow, merging strips into the stern section, etc. I would probably get these things right, but I'm not really in the mood to bust my a-- for so-so results.
It looks too small. Considerable of the overall length is the high-rocker bow, which would probably spend much of its time uselessly out of the water.
The high rocker and rounded chine suggest a lousy-tracking, excessively "loose" boat.
Need for sheer clamps.
I also agree with what others before me have said: the forms are too darned far apart. I didn't like the idea of stretching 3/16" strips that far between forms.

A far as decisions go, I sometimes find it useful to evaluate the why. The only reason I'd have to continue the DS would be because I had already gotten as far as I did, building the bow & stern sections, etc, but I already have assembled the box beam, and made strips. I'm not going to build a kayak that I don't want simply because I've started it.

I looked back at Redfish Kayaks "Golden", and it looks appealing-low volume, 16' length, light weight.

The Strongback

I used the same techniques for setting up the forms as the last build,except that I used 1/2" CDX plywood instead of Masonite. It has an advantage in that you can sometimes use the plies to align things, however, the grain running in different directions makes it look "crooked".

Bow View. The Famous Bow Piece  is supported & aligned with an extra mini-bracket. The forms are spaced closer together at the bow & stern.

Stern view. The stern piece is also supported/aligned with a mini-bracket. 
As I go along, I'm beginning to "get" how it all comes together-for example, how the main hull strips run past and rest on the bevels of the stern section. Those extra-thin strips are starting to look mighty frail after tapering.
I still don't understand the whole process, but I'm hoping that after I get closer, that I will.

Starting The Setup

This is going fairly easily. I reassembled two 8' sections of the box beam, leaving about a 1' gap between them, bridged with a scrap of ply. Last year's saw horses went back together o.k.

Plumbing the upper string. This year's discovery: braided Mason's Line is much easier to use than twisted line. The twisted line never seems to stop trying to unwind itself, but this stuff behaves.

Buying Cedar & Milling

The weather has turned "autumnal" in a hurry. It seems that I can't get the opportunity to go kayaking to jibe with the weather. 

I set out to Ring's End to buy cedar today, despite rain. I got the usual "slightly puzzled" look from the employees as I picked through the stacks. I couldn't find anything that I wanted in the 4/4 lumber, so I resorted to thicker boards, finally finding ones with "the look I want". They are 2x4's with "wild" grain on the top, and straight grain on the edges. I'm going to have to use a different cutting sequence to make strips.

Tail Section Saga

This is definitely a "character building" process.
I achieved a compromise between Following The Instructions Implicitly, and Doing It My Way. First, I tried 5/8" x 3/16 strips, but I found it really difficult to bend and twist them enough to lie on the frame without tension, and I had already found that hot melt glue doesn't have any holding power. I went back to the surface planer, and made some strips thinner than 3/16", but not quite down to 1/8" (3/32"?) I found them considerably easier to heat bend. This may make for some thin areas after shaping, but I have been there and done that before.

I also "resorted" to staples. I know what they do  and how to use them. The "cheater" strips were difficult, requiring a compound bend/twist, so I tried full 3/16" thick strips, for more gluing area. 
The manual says to strip down about 4-1/2" from the sheer. This is about 4-1/4" from the sheer. I think he means for a larger Baidarka, but this is the smallest one. Its another thing that I won't understand until I get to that stage.
The video also shows the end being joined with a scarf joint, but I think I'm going to go for an end cap lamination instead.
And. of course, the other side was much easier. Somehow, I ended up with three small cheater strips instead of two larger ones, but everything measures out O.K.