Decks and Outwalls

Last Saturday I got back from Florida where Debra and I watched out grandchildren while Ben & Emily completed the Everglades Challenge. Out of about 60 boats only 17 finished and they were number 14. They worked hard and even did the entire Wilderness Waterway through Everglades National Park. We are very proud of them for their perseverance. So now I'm back home to ministry and building. I completed the decks earlier in the week and installed them between the inwalls.

The decks will double as a carrying handle and I will install stainless steel padeyes under the deck to attack a line to and serve as a tie down point. This will keep the top of the deck and canoe clear and clean.
Preparing and installing the outwalls was a big job. They are made out of 7/8" ash. First I had to make two cuts. The first cut was the length of each outwall to taper the bottom edge from 7/8" to a 5/8" edge. This reduces some weight and looks good. The other taper was the same as on the inwall from 32" from the end and from 7/8" to 3/8". I again used the taper jig and it worked great. Once I got everything sanded and looking straight I had to try dryclamping each outwall to check that everything fit. I also needed to check that the screws I planned to install every 12" did not fall on the screws holding the inwalls. When all looked good I mixed a batch of thickened epoxy with some sanding dust for color and brushed it on.
The whole process took longer than expected but everything worked out well. I used clamps along with the screws and squeese clamps between the scuppers to keep the hull tight to the outwall.
Here you can see the screw holes. They are recessed about 1/4" and will receive a plug. The next step will be to use a beltsander across the inwall, outwall and top of deck to get everything smooth. I'm debating about just varnishing all this or covering it with epoxy first. I will test both out on a piece of ash with a plug.