Passagemaker bottom fiberglass work

Hi good people of the Forum.

My manual (I believe an older version) makes no reference to dealing with the four small holes in my hull bottom. These are the holes that match the two tabs on both the fore and aft bulkheads which I have wired in temporarily to do my hull seams. Now, according to instructions, I am ready to glass that center panel on the bottom but the four holes, with protruding tabs, are staring me in the face. Snip them off, take out bulkheads and fill holes in some other fashion, fiberglass OVER everything (which doesn’t make intuitive sense)....? Obviously there are four holes in my hull bottom and they must be addressed. I will see if there is a more up to date manual that I can get to help me when I encounter these kinds of things but thought I’d throw it out to the Forum.

Thanks as always,

Scott 


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RE: Passagemaker bottom fiberglass work

We removed the bulkheads/frames after gluing up the seams, then fiberglassed the interior in one go, then cleared out the tab holes so we could use them to help reposition the parts later.  We worked in extra putty around the tabs as we reinstalled the interior.  Once the boat was turned over to fiberglass the exterior, we trimmed the protruding tabs flush and filled any voids with more putty before applying the exterior fiberglass.

.....Michael

RE: Passagemaker bottom fiberglass work

 

 

 

Thanks Michael for helping me think outside the box. I get stuck in OCD crap all the time; “wait it says glass the bottom after you’ve sealed your hull seams,”  but obviously there’s more than one way to get to the end zone.

I was mostly frustrated that my manual (a 2011 version) and the newer version that Nicky sent me didn’t even mention bulkhead tabs or holes in the hull where the tabs fit.

Being able to do both interior and exterior glass in single passes sounds really good to me.

Again, thanks! Your support is much appreciated.

Scott 

RE: Passagemaker bottom fiberglass work

You're welcom, Scott.  It's mighty hard to keep manuals up-to-date that way.  When in doubt, give a shout.

Also, make sure you have a comfortable chair postitioned where you can view the work and sit with the manual in your lap and a cup of coffee in hand while you scratch your head like a monkey lookin' at a red rubber ball tryin' to puzzle out things like this.  Howard Chapelle, probably in his fine book Boatbuilding, referred to this at the "moaning chair" and, believe me, you are likely spend some time moaning in it.  Trick is to have fun, don't get in a hurry, and keep thinkin' about all the fun you'll have in her when she's done and people you don't know will stop to admire her...even if she ain't quite museum grade finish.

If the moaning in your chair gets too hard to bear, you might switch out the coffee for a wee dram of Maker's Mark or some such, but make sure somebody locks up all your tools first.  <;-)

.....Michael

 

RE: Passagemaker bottom fiberglass work

Yeah, don't feel bad.  This has come up a few times in the last couple of years since they added the tabs.  It's pretty difficult to search for this kind of answer if you're not even sure what key words to use.  Good thing this is such a great forum.

RE: Passagemaker bottom fiberglass work

   

RE: Passagemaker bottom fiberglass work

 

 

Such sage and wise counsel as always. I remember hearing about the moaning chair years ago with my first build (the LT17) and have neglected that time honored approach. Must do some more sittin’ and sippin’!

As a change agent in my life I’m always wanting to bring attention to improvements to systems—in this case the manual. I suspect (but have no proof) that a vast majority of builders with CLC products are truly amateurs and thus appreciate things that are clear, and love NOT having surprises like “what’s with those tabs and holes?”

It’s a balance as always—learning to step back and problem-solve and having good clear info. I’ve just completed the inside glass work, per your suggestion Michael, and will soon flip the boat back over for the bottom glass work. 

Noticed I needed way more than 12oz. of unthickened epoxy but the weave is covered. Hopefully no bubbles or ripples. It’s all good! 

Scott 

RE: Passagemaker bottom fiberglass work

You're going to install all of the frames/bulkheads (not the bow and stern seat tops yet) before flipping over to glass the bottom, right?  You'll want to check that all is fair, plumb, and square as you go to make sure you don't lock in a little twist or some such.  That's the sequence we used, and it worked out well.  I'm pretty sure that was as shown in the manual we had.  Yours too?

.....Michael

RE: Passagemaker bottom fiberglass work

I actually used winding sticks on both my EP and PM builds to ensure the hulls was straight.

RE: Passagemaker bottom fiberglass work

 

Hey Michael, I sent you a separate email in case it got stuck in your spam folder.

Thanks for continued support. I’ve had a few oopses with coating the interior with unthickened epoxy and think one problem may be that my garage heater is right above where I’m working and I need to shut it down while applying epoxy and then turn it back up for curing. Making sure those interior seams are filled also is a part of the problem since the excess wants to run down the planks.

Moaning chair here I come!

RE: Passagemaker bottom fiberglass work

Hey, Scott, I did see your email; just didn't have anything new to add at that point.  Sounds like you are coming along.

If your epoxy is running away with itself, you might be trying to apply too much in one pass.  Also, you do want to keep working any runs until it stops running and stands still for you.  Thick, runny, uneven coats will just cause your arms to drop off later from sanding.  Unthickened epoxy for coating, with brushing out for smooting; thickened epoxy for filling, with gloved finger wet with alcohol for smoothing.

.....Michael

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