Stephen Baker wrote:
No, it uses 8. I used 1x4 fir decking and got 3 strips per board, and I
inadvertently used all nine instead of discarding one


If you hadn't used all 9, you would have screwed one up and needed the extra.
You just took out an insurance policy, that's all. ;-)

Steve "speaking from experience...."

The biggest problem was that the "extra" pushed the circumference out to
the barely outer limits of the hose clamps I used as clamps. Some I
could get four turns of the screw on, some I couldn't get to bite at
all. And the mess??? a new personal record! even got epoxy in my hair
(wiped hair out of my eyes in frustration, forgetting one time....)

BTW check out the August "Offshore" magazine for an article named
"Passings", second place in their writers contest

Jonathan

--
I am building a Dudley Dix, Argie 10, for my daughter. Check it out:
http://home.comcast.net/~jonsailr