Fiberglass stern on chesapeake 17LT

Getting ready to glass the hull, but i'm not quite sure how to make the stern look neat.  In the video they show trimming the glass to about 1.5 inches beyond the verticle part of the hull--but never show it again when they wet out the glass.  Do you just fold it over?  I dont want it to look like a sloppy mess, especially along curve at the tip.  Any suggestions?


4 replies:

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RE: Fiberglass stern on chesapeake 17LT

There's really no need to fold anything over. Just let the glass run a bit past the end, and wet out whatever is in contact with the hull. Trim off the excess and sand when it has cured. It might be that the extreme edge is not actually covered with glass, but that is not necessary. If you would feel better if it is, you can later add a small patch of bias weave fabric (see the CLC Shop Tips) over that edge, which will conform very nicely around the sharp bend.

RE: Fiberglass stern on chesapeake 17LT

I folded mine, but ended up with bubbles in the glass that are kind of ugly when you get up close. Ididn't worry about them too much, boat vs funiture thing. I you don't want a ten foot boat I would follow old yeller's instructions. good luck, and pack the rear heavier than the front.

RE: Fiberglass stern on chesapeake 17LT

I just cut the stern end and epoxied it on. Then followed with 2 more 3 inch  layers cut on the bias. Probably 1.5 to 2 feet in length each. The bias cut strips will easily conform to the stern (with a little persistance). Try it dry and tug at the corners with someone else holding the other end (or tape). It is pretty amazing how much you can curve around an edge such as the stern by biasing the fiberglass the right way. 

RE: Fiberglass stern on chesapeake 17LT

Thanks everyone.  I did what Old Yeller suggested and just cut it off, then added some thickened epoxy to the end.  Should look ok.  The more i work on this thing i have to keep telling myself it's not a coffee table, its not a coffee table.  For my first go, i'm pretty happy, but in the back of my mind, i'm now wondering if i will have enough epoxy to finish the deck....

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