Minimal Glass on the Chester Yawl Hull

I am curious. I am moving well along with building my Chester Yawl and, as I understand it, except for a larger patch on the stern, the external hull only gets glassed on the garboards (planks 1 only, and then up the bow).

First, assuming I am right and I haven't missed something, do folks find this sufficient protection for their hull? I will be using mine in the rocky Maine coast and lakes.

Second, besides minimizing weight, is the point of this to maintain the crisp lapstrake joints (if I am using the right term there)?

Thanks!


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RE: Minimal Glass on the Chester Yawl Hull

I have similar thoughts - but more specific:

1. It would seem logical to glass the skeg. (I am doing a NE Dory)

2. Glass the dagger board? (or at least the bottom few inches of it)

3. Glass the inside of the dagger board trunk since it might get wear and is inaccessible after building.

Anyone got comments on this? I am not inclined to question the choices made by the boat designer but I can't help asking these three questions.

On a more constructive note, instead of rasping or sanding the gains on the planks near the bow, I found a small shoulder plane does an excellent quick job. You need to be careful as you get to final thickness.   

RE: Minimal Glass on the Chester Yawl Hull

On my Eastport Pram, I glassed the skeg and installed a stainless steel rub strake on it.  I used graphite epoxy on the daggerboard and rudder.  I didn't think about doing anything additional to the daggerboard slot because that was early in the build and I was intent on following the instructions.  Later as I got more confident, I got more creative. 

On my Passagemaker, I will definitely graphite everything that will experience chafing.  Glassing the daggerboard/slot affects the clearance between the part, so you might need to add additional spacers (logs?) between the cheek plates of the daggerboard case/slot.  I would think that glassing the daggerboard and slot would add at least a 1/4" total from the four surfaces.

You can check out my build here:

https://www.midnight-maker.com/single-post/2015/08/18/Mancraft-101-Building-the-Eastport-Pram

RE: Minimal Glass on the Chester Yawl Hull

I forgot to mention that my EP got holed very easily from sailing up to a rocky beach with crew in the bow.  I came in a little hot and a small rock poked right through the garboard plank, which was glassed on the inside only as per the manual.  On my PM, I might take the time to glass the garboard plank on the outside too.

RE: Minimal Glass on the Chester Yawl Hull

Chester Yawl #1 is still going strong after 16 years with the same fiberglass schedule indicated in the manual. It's been slid up and down beaches 15,000 times, dropped in the parking lot, and (once) had the forks of a forklift driven through the side of the hull. (More 'glass wouldn't have helped there. We fixed it. See if you can find the patch at the next show.)

The strength of that boat is really coming from the lapped joints of the planks. The 'glass does stiffen the bottom of the hull, but mainly it helps with abrasion.

Chester Yawl

RE: Minimal Glass on the Chester Yawl Hull

   My skeg is a wreck. But it’s easy to patch with or without glass. Dynel with graphite and colodial silica works pretty well. I apply just to the bottom edge. Metal shoe like CaptSkully would be great.
Added an additional 8” triangle of glass at point of bow and have word through both. It’ll get Dynel and graphite treatment over winter.

RE: Minimal Glass on the Chester Yawl Hull

My intention is to keep my Chester Yawl off the beach and off the rocks. I own an appropriate pair of boots for loading from shallow water. Chafing, as on beaching, is not my concern. I am more concerned with unexpected rocks while moving at some speed.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts. I will almost certainly continue as John and the plans suggest. It certainly is a beautiful boat! I will just have to be careful.

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