: I'm building a first kayak (Wood Duck 12 hybrid) and I'm close to
: laying my first strip for the deck. Maybe I messed up the hull,
: but I just don't see how I'm going to be able to bend my first
: strip so it will lay flat. The clc instructions do not say
: anything about bending the strip, did I screw up??

Where are you starting? At a side or straight down the center?

If you start from a side and work in toward the center you'll be spending a lot of time trimming and fitting the final 5 strips. And you'll need a hot air gun to help with the first 4 strips.

It is much easier to start by laying the first strip down the centerline of the deck. If you use a full-length strip just lay it from front to back (bow to stern) and tack it or staple it to the front deck supporting forms. Start stapling at the bow of the boat and work toward the cockpit area. Let it overhang a few inches at each end. You'll trim off the excess later.

If the deck rises a lot at the front of the cockpit then your strip is going to be following that curve, and rising to the ceiling. Let it.

Stop stapling when you get to the cockpit and go to the stern. Center your strip and staple it to the end form. Then move toward the center of the boat and staple it to another 1 or 2 forms.
Somewhere in the middle of the cockpit that strip will be trying to go up in front, and down in back.
Ease this problem by cutting or breaking the strip in roughly the middle of the cockpit area. Leave the overhanging ends for a while and get the strip stapled down to the rest of the forms.
Since this center strip runs straight there is only the gentle bending as it rises and falls over the length of the boat.

You can now add shorter strips to each side of the center strip. With short strips you don't need to run the strips completely over the cockpit area. A few inches long is fine.

Later you'll decide where the cockpit coaming will go and you can away the rough edge left by the ends of the strips.

Keep laying strips. As you get closer to the sides they will overhang more and more. Eventually the complete width of the deck will be covered.

Now, carefully trim off the overhanging wood.

Once the glue is hard pull the staples. Run a pencil around the hull and mark on the underside of the deck where to trim. If you want to sand and fiberglass the top of the deck now go ahead. Cut a bit wide of the mark and use a sander with coarse sandpaper, or a handplane, to get a smooth and good-fitting edge. When you have 0a good fit, sand and 'glass the inside of the deck. Then recheck the fit, glue on the deck , finish tyhe coaming , and get out and paddle.
Good luck with your project.
PGJ