Questions on glassing Marine Plywood

[Mark Gudschinsky]

Summer is wearing out and I still have a project instead of a sail boat--so:

I've built using Okumee 1088 plywood. The boat is basically complete with the cockpit faired and the interior primed. (No glass in the cabin.)

Because the Alaska sailing season ends about the end of August I have the "to glass or not to glass dilema." My thinking at the moment is to glass the chines and maybe the seats and cabin floor and paint the rest.

I've read a few post where the opinion is there is little need to glass 1088 plywood. I like the idea so I can get into the water--but I'm wavering so I need a gentle nudge one direction or the other from those of you with experience or opinions.

[capt jake]

Yes, glass the Okume, as it was granted a BS1088 certification from an exemption, as Okume is not inheritly rot resistant. It is a long standing exemption (as I have been told), and as long as you protect it, it will be fine.

Meranti, which I will build my next boat from, is more rot resistant than is Okume (here again, from what I have been told).

Happy glassing!! :)

[capt jake]

I can't remember who i have had conversations with concerning Okume, i thought Graham was one of them. Maybe it was Edensaw/ I am not sure, but I do remember the comments about Okume.

Sorry I can't recall my sources.

[Frank Hagan]

I don't think the glass on the Weekender provides any structural benefit, but does provide some abrasion resistance. If you don't intend to beach her often, and she won't be in the water all the time, I think you can forgo the fiberglass and just seal the okume with paint or epoxy and paint.

I like using epoxy first. The epoxy just rolls on, like paint, but provides great weather resistance. If you roll on three or more coats, it will provide a thick enough coating that it is "for all intents and purposes" waterproof. You have to protect the epoxy from UV exposure, so a coat of paint is in order (or varnish, if you intend to keep it bright ... .but that is a maintenance hassle in the future.)

You can also use the Okume without any sealing with epoxy. The key here is that if you are leaving your boat in water, then waterproof it, and glass and epoxy is an easy way to do that. If you are having it on a trailer most of the time, then the epoxy isn't needed as much.

[Mark Gudschinsky]

Well I don't plan to leave the boat in the water, but there is some risk because of the problem with best layed plans and all.

So The boat should spend most of the time on the trailer or possibly on a boat lift. So I believe I'm leaning toward glassing the bottom of the cockpit because of rainwater risk, and the top of the seats because of all of the feet, and probably the chines and the bottom of the hull because I probably will beach her often. (Either by intent or error as she will have a beginning skipper.) So still a bit of glassing. I like the sound of sealing the wood with epoxy to give me something to sand to incase I end up wishing I'd glass the whole thing.

However, after rereading this, I may be doing just enough epoxy to slow me down, but not enough to truly project the craft. Indecision and wavering! Now that's what really slows down a project.

[Stuart Benbow]

Ask a simple yes or now question, and end up with a dozen different answers from half a dozen sources.

I've been waivering too, but at this point, I'm resigned to getting every last scrap of wood working done this year, as well as all of my varnishing and interior painting, and rigging so that I only have to fiberglass and paint come spring. I miss out on sailing her this year, but it ensures that next year is a good long sailing season, and that the boat won't (or at least shouldn't) rot out from under me in a few years.

Of course, I'm using exterior grade fir, so if I didn't glass her, I'd be pulling splinters outta my @ after each sail once the checking got through the paint.

The way I see it though, if you're already decided on glassing the chines, the cockpit, and a few other areas, you may as well just do the whole thing, as there's likely to be only a marginal difference in time investment.

Just my 2 cents worth, and probably not worth that.

[Barry Pyeatt]

Mark, why don't you check into the Spantex coatings for your topside. It rolls on easily and the top coats will give you a choice of topside colors. It is self vulcanizing and completly waterproof. (After all they do roof tops with it that have standing water on them most of the year) It lasts for years without maintenance and it works over bare wood.

I'm using it for the umpteenth time on deck and cockpit and have had great results with it.

Non-skid and easy on the bare legs and bare feet and tusch.

http://www.spantexusa.com/

It is designed to be applied to horizontal surfaces, so you have to get a little creative to do the cockpit verticals, but turn the hull up on one side and then the other. I used just the top coat (over smooth application without the non-skid) on the vertical surfaces.

Cures quickly and gets you going and looks great.

My two cents worth. 8)