Deck Installation...help!!

Builder's Forum
1

Hey everyone! My name is Paul and I'm a high school senior in Greenville, SC.  To graduate, we have to complete a senior project and I chose to build a beautiful Chesapeake 16.  I ran into a major problem...i think.  Last weekend I put the deck on and this weekend I was getting ready to trim the deck overhang but then i realized the deck started to separate and form a crack in between the deck and side panel/sheer clamp.  The epoxy mixed with cab-o-sil apparently didn't hold or something.  But it was only at the aft deck.  So what do i do?  (the last thing I want is a kayak that doesn't float for my senior project)

Thanks

Paul

2

How big of a crack?  Lenght and width?  Got a pic?

3

It's really small...maybe 1/16 in and almost 3/4 of the way down the aft deck on both sides.  It's not a crack in the wood, it's just a separation of the joint where the deck panel and side panels meet.  Should I go ahead and trim the overhang and sand everything down then put some epoxy mixed with cab-o-sil in the openings?

4

My guess would be to fill it in with epoxy and wood flour.  Looks better.  To be on the safe side wait a day for more advice if I am wrong.  But that is what I have done to my boats.  I've seen pics of pro built yaks that are filled in too.

 Kim