Yes, Uwe, I soaked them and bent them gradually. I tried three different ways. I've also tried steaming them in a steam box. It seems to work just as well bending them dry. Part of it is the direction of the grain. Unfortunately, the wood is tapered on the stern in a way that makes the wood break along the grain. If the strake were upside down, maybe it wouldn't break along the line of the grain; however, the bevel wouldn't fit the curve then. Thanks for watching. I guess I'll just have to continue starting at the stern and gluing very slowly as I go along. It takes me two days to glue one strake this way. I'm ready to get on with the interior of the boat.