I'm going (as son as I have finished my exams this semester) to build a Great Auk. I have bought "The strip-built sea kayak" by Nick Schade. And since I'm a poor student I have decided to not buy the complete plans. My question is if anything catastrophic happens if I make the deck a little more "flat"? I was thinking of making the deck horizontal at the middle. At the bow it will be almost as before, but in front of the cockpit it will consist of three "sections" (instead of two as it is orginaly). Anyone understand what I mean? :-) The intention is to get a deck that isn't quite so sharppointed. Another important question is if the guy who designed the kayak (Nick Schade) would mind if I do so...?

Einar F Veland