Tag Archives: fiberglass cloth

Fiberglassing the hull.

Posted on by
Reply

One of the wonderful things about building a kayak that is a composite of wood and fiberglass is that the end result is stronger than either wood, or fiberglass by itself. Another benefit is that a wood and fiberglass kayak will not sink, even if you fill the whole kayak with water! A fiberglass boat without supplemental flotation will sink like a stone if filled with water.

Fiberglass cloth is spread out over the entire hull. It will be saturated with epoxy using a foam roller, and the excess epoxy squeegeed off to laminate the fiberglass cloth to the hull.
The angle of the stern stem is too steep for the cloth to lay smoothly, so a cut is made in the cloth and the two sides overlap each side of the hull. After the epoxy cures the overlap will be sanded smooth.
The bow stem angle will allow the fiberglass cloth to lay smoothly, without having to cut it, etc.
Another view of the stern stem overlap.
Epoxy applied and squeegeed smooth, ensuring that there are no air bubbles trapped beneath the fiberglass cloth. This view is of the bow end of the boat.
Hull glassed. I think it looks very good.
The camera really exaggerated the color differences in the grain in this photo. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it has to do with my LED shop lighting. Anyway, the hull looks much less “splotchy” in person.
View of the stern where the fiberglass cloth was overlapped.
Looking toward the bow.
Fiberglass cloth becomes “glass clear” when wetted out with epoxy. The hull will get a couple of fill coats of epoxy so that the weave of the cloth will not be compromised, or visible.