End pours are required if you wish to rig the deck and carry handles as described in Pinguino’s construction manual. To do the end pour you are expected to stand the boat vertically, first on its bow, then on its stern. While the boat is in the vertical position you are to pour three to six ounces of epoxy mixed with wood powder into the bow/stern and wait for it to cure. Because the curing epoxy generates lots of heat, you must find a way to cool the bow/stern while the epoxy cures, about an hour. Then you flip the boat over and repeat the process on the other end.
My big problem was, where could I find a spot to stand the fourteen and a half foot boat on end and hold it there for an hour or more? I live in a one-story house with big overhangs, so that was no help. I finally settled on the largest palm tree in my back yard. The tree was planted eight months ago and still had the support braces in place. These braces served to cradle the boat so I could hold it in place with a single ratchet strap. With the boat against the tree, its bow just pierced the fronds at the top! Next I lifted the bow enough to slip a bucket over it. I filled the bucket with cold water and added ice left over from a dinner party the night before. With those problems solved, the end pours were easy and straight forward.
