Don't disagree, need to make sure the deck sides and gunnels are sealed good before you install them and a small water escape route right at the end hidden under the brass doesn't hurt either.
I don’t disagree about the aesthetics of an inset deck, I just lack the skills to make one look good. And I like being able to easily unscrew/ remove the decks when oiling the gunwales and inspecting the stems.
I do seal the heck out of top mounted wood decks, but a small drain hole has proven inadequate. Depending on the diameter of the hole can end up plugged with debris, bug carcasses or egg sacks, etc. A slotted inset deck would be better, but, again, shop skills.
With the large plastic decks on vinyl gunwales I am not concerned about rot, but I still drill a near ½ inch hole; anything smaller plugs up too easily, which is evident when I shoulder the yoke a quart of cruddy water runs down the underside of the inwales. How it ends up on my shoulders I do not know.
I will give wood gunwales their due in that guise, especially with an under-inwale profile slope; the water drains off better and there is less crude trapped between the gunwale edges and hull. When I wash canoes with aluminum or vinyl gunwales I jet blast water at that gunwale edge and an amazing amount of debris washes out. Especially with vinyl gunwales that sometimes have a little “pucker” between pop rivets. Again, advantage wood.
Yeah, the fine finish detail takes extra effort and expense and not everyone wants to pay for it. Things like peel ply tape to make smooth seams add cost and time, or making sure the unseen side of all wood trim is sealed same thing.
I agree absolutely. I will never do epoxy and glass (Dynel, kevlar, tape) work again without having peel ply available. Release treated peel ply is the best thing to happen to boat tinkering since epoxy resin (G/flex is in that best thing mix as well).
Making sure the unseen side of all wood trim is sealed may be the hallmark of an attentive builder. I have taken yokes and thwarts off new canoes from most of the big builders and
usually found the butt ends that drink in the first few coats of varnish poorly sealed.
Sometimes very poorly, if at all. To the point that taking wood thwarts and yoke off brand new boats is worthwhile.
I know that takes more time and work, and a wee bit more varnish, but seriously, that is where the rot always sets in with poorly maintained brightwork. It is a tiny effort in the name of durability.
I have epoxy sealed some butt ends, but haven’t seen a long term difference using multiple coats of varnish on that open grain.
