> I need your suggestions...On my Chesapeake 17, I misread the plans and
> installed the deckbeam approx. 1 1/2 inches too far aft. Unfortunately, I
> didn't discover this error until I was getting ready to install the
> coaming. The problem is that the inside diameter of the coaming
> pieces(front to back) are larger than the distance between the deckbeam
> and the aft bulkhead. As I see it, my alternatives are:

> 1. Install the coaming, line it up with the aft bulkhead and let the front
> overlap the deckbeam an inch or so...maybe fair it with thickened epoxy
> for cosmetic purposes. (My girlfriend who will be paddling the boat is
> 5'4", so the slight restriction in the front of the cockpit size
> shouldn't be a problem for her. This eliminates problems with spray skirt
> fit.)

I would definitely go with alternative 1. But here is another (theoretical) possibility: remove the rear bulkhead, and install a new one further aft. You could saw out most of the existing bulkhead, and then (and here is the unknown) remove the fillet and glass tape with a heat gun (this idea about removing glass and epoxy comes from my reading of the West Systems epoxy literature--I have never personally tried to remove epoxy by heating it up). I'd like to hear from others if heat-gunning really is a practical option.