jtrobins

Hi, if I can jump in with a question. I'm a relative newcomer about to start a Birder 2. When you say to coat the outside of the bend with a thin coat of epxoy, I assume you mean while the wood is rested and flat, not after bending, is that correct? Thanks Jim

Thanks for the advice! We paddle in calm water, salt marshes and ponds, but we do beach the boats a lot so some glass on bottom makes sense. Are you building just birders or the birder 2? The MC 16.5 was my alternative boat to the birder 2, but I had already built a MC and wanted to try something different. Jim

Hi, I'm new to the forum and B&B yacht designs. I have my birder 2 plans and am ready to get started. This is my 3rd kayak, the previous 2 were kits from CLC (a Mill Creek and Chesapeake). This will be my first attempt from plans. I will be using Okoume plywood, found a local source with reasonable prices. Reviewing the plans I was surprised that it does not call for fiberglass on the hull, just epoxy coating. I'm only surprised since the CLC boats do. Is all that fiberglassing overkill? Is the weight savings from not fiberglassing signficiant or is it mainly a cost consideration? I assume the non-glassed hulls require more attention to maintenance. I'm considering glassing with 4, rather than 6 oz glass as a compromise, but if its not needed at all I'd be happy to skip it altogether. Your advice appreciated. Thanks Jim