Re: Fiberglassing Pram

Posted by CLC on Jul 31, 2005

The fiberglass stiffens the bottom panel and protects against abrasion from within and without.

Beyond that, the "stringer" effect of the overlapping planks makes these LapStitch boats extraordinarily stiff. We have three of the Eastports here, all of them 4-5 years old, and they've withstood amazing abuse, including being dropped on concrete (accidently) and crushed by a forklift (that one was repaired and is on display in our showroom). Our Chester Yawl was also run through by the forks of a forklift last winter, but the repair is now invisible.

Fiberglass wouldn't have helped in any of those cases.

Of the circa 700 Eastport Prams that have been built, I know of just two catastrophic failures. The first was being towed at high speed in violent wind and wave conditions---while filled to the gunwales with water. After awhile the bow transom came off. It was probably repairable. The second one was an Eastport Pram whose painter had gotten wrapped around the propellor shaft of a big trawler. It got sucked under and quite simply taken to pieces. With infinite patience it might have been reassembled, but I think insurance stepped in.

Both scenarios would have done in a pram made out of anything but welded alloy.

We DO now stock the nifty canvas padded rubrail material, which is indispensable for boats used as tenders alongside larger boats. It'll be online in a bit, or call.

In Response to: Fiberglassing Pram by Duncan on Jul 31, 2005

Replies:

• Re: Fiberglassing Pram by Duncan on Jul 31, 2005