Re: glassing inside kayak

Posted by Ian Colledge on Dec 3, 2007

Dear Alan

I've receintly finished my first build a C16. Your question also puzzled me . An engineering friend tells me that fibre glass strength is mainly in tension and does not have much compressive strength. ( hence surf boards that break buckle on the compressed side before they break) With his help we glassed the outside of the Kayak half way up the sides, not all the way to the shear ( although next time I'll go all the way as it would have been easier to get a smooth surface if I had taken the glass to the deck line) We tried to tension the glass as we applied the epoxy. I have only glassed the rear half of the cockpit floor. Time will tell if I have compromised too much. However the end weight is 19 Kg ( the design wt.) which includes a rudder system that weighs about 1.5 Kg. Over all I have about 1.5 Kg less glass/epoxy than I would have had if I glassed inside the cockpit and the deck.

Many say that weight is not important however when I carry the kayak up a sand dune by myself and lift it onto the 4WD I wish it was lighter.

I'll be interested to read the feed back that comes.

Ian Colledge (Australia)

In Response to: glassing inside kayak by Alan O'Neill on Nov 29, 2007

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