After all. I opted for a "waterline strip". The plans don't actually show a waterline strip, but I figured that the "reference lines" on the forms were close enough to where I remember where "waterline marks" usually are. Its decorative anyway.
As expected, the usual tapered strips, lots of tape, and "creative clamping". I still got away without using cheater strips at the bow.
At the stern, I didn't like the way the strips were curving, so I did go for a cheater, both to straighten out the curve, and reach into the concave area. In all, I remembered Jay's advice to "get the boat in wood'.
At this point, I had a little revelation on the subject of "mistakes". They usually annoy me, but at this point, I'm actually glad I have made them, because I have acquired skills while fixing them. I'm using the skills to work with "difficult" areas.
