? Hi Mick

? I am starting to feel like I have a real pen pal. Thanks for your idea's. ? There is a lot there, tonights the night I get back to it, I will let you ? know how it goes. What kind of boats have you built? Anything to look out ? for when building? And do you get out paddling mutch? I am hoping to get ? out more this summer.

? Cheers: Brian (from Canada)

I'm bldg my 1st, a short boat, but b/c of work and location haven't been bldg for 3 mos or more - I'm feeding vicariously on everyone else here who is actually doing something real. I have a beater or so and used to get out in the evenings, but still won't for a while. Canada,too.

You've sure got a lot of good advice and comments here so I'm hesitant to add more but what the heck:

- I just cannot believe that the designer really meant that he did not design the 'half' forms in relation to the others. Is is really beyond belief because it is so natural and simple and usual to do it that way. And to not have consistent reference lines?? I must simply restrain myself from commenting more strongly as I don't have the evidence before me. I agree totally with George, but would sent sheet two back (trace the outlines) and ask for reference lines or half the money back. I will be good, I will be good, I will be good. But what the &*#! is going on!

- What ever alignment method you use, if well constructed, will result in an ok yak. I personally believe the internal stronback is too much of a no-brainer, but any well thought out method will work.

- I think you should use the already drawn forms on sheet two - why make more work for yourself. But you should take great care and time laying out the sheer lines in order to place the half forms. Spend a quiet evening laying out the sheer pts only and drawing curves on trace by freehand to give you an idea of what the boat is doing. Then draw in harder line. Use tracing paper or thin paper and overlay so you don't mess up the original pts.

- The down, up and down swoop of the deck peak point is a slight illusion. Because the sheer is rising (at abt the halfway pt betw bow and cockpit) but the deck is falling and a less rate - overall it looks like it is swooping up before it goes down again. But if you take the sheer as a reference at ea. form, I think you'll notice that the ht descends rapidly from the cockpit, descends more slowly in the middle and descends rapidly for the last 6 inches or so. The result is a continuous descent w/ the ultimate endpt w/ the sheer lines and the deck ht meeting.

- I sure can't talk for you, but I would wade thru this, taking careful steps as you obviously are. I think you'll get huge satisfaction from beating this hiccup. Good luck.

-mick