: I put the deck on the hull to find the correct size I need for cheek plates,
: and to fit the cheek plates to the deck and I see the deck is 1 inch wider
: than the hull. I Put a 1/2 x 2" board down the sides of both seams
: and put several straps around the boat to pull the sides together. It is
: realy strong.The deck cracked where the coaming recess meets the deck on
: the side on one side but still has to go some more. I think I can fill the
: crack with epoxy but how will I fit the 2 halfs together to glass the
: inside seams when it is this stiff? This is my first kayak.

It's common for the boat to grow in width just sitting, that's why it's usually recommended that spreaders be added to keep the dimmensions constant until you're ready to join the deck with the hull. Since you didn't use them, you'll have to fudge the joint to make it work. Depends on the hull shape, easier with a design where the deck and the hull join at nearly a 90 degree angle, then the deck can be trimmed to fit the hull. When the design has a rounded joint the two pieces need to be brought back to shape to make a sucessful joint. That might include removing the recessed coaming to allow the deck to return to it's proper shape first. I'd get ahold of the designer, most are very helpful.

Bill H.