To glass or not to glass the deck on a C17 kayak?

I just finished glassing the hull on my kayak. What a mess. Anyway, I was thinking of not glassing the deck. This would allow me several options on finishing the deck w/o messing with glassing the deck. I read that someone did not glass their deck and after 10 years they had no problem. I am looking for pro/con of glassing my deck. As a new builder, I greatly appreciate the forum and all imput. THANKS.

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RE: To glass or not to glass the deck on a C17 kayak?

I did not glass the deck on my C17, and I regret skipping that step.  At one point in time I was practicing rolling in a pool, and I struck the nose of the boat on the pool wall, causing a crack in the plywood on the deck.  Had it been fiberglassed, it would not have cracked.  At the very least, I would recommend glassing the extreme tips, maybe 3-6 inches in, just to protect against impact.  That is the first thing I am doing this year before taking her out again this season.

 

RE: To glass or not to glass the deck on a C17 kayak?

The first time I glassed anything it was a mess. Epoxy dripping everywhere, epoxy in my hair, all over my clothes, long strands of unravelled glass turning into epoxy snot, etc.  And the finish was bumpy with runs that ended up needing tons of sanding. Sound familiar?

The second time was nowhere near as bad. Practice really helps. Today it\'s a routine job. Rather than giving up the protection and strength that that layer of glass gives you, try figuring out what went wrong and addressing those issues. Just the fact that you\'ve done it once will give you a big leg up on getting it done the next time.

Hang in there,

Laszlo

 

 

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