Fiberglass reinforcements

Before the high coating I reinforced the hull with 194 g/m2 2/2 fiberglass cloth. It was not necessary according to the plan – I just wanted to achieve more strength and thickness. Be sure that enough resin covers the fiber glass. I used the next method: first I covered the hull with low density epoxy resin before spreading the glass cloth. Just right after this, I covered the glass cloth onto the resin-wet surface without a pucker. After covering the glass, I lubricated the top of the glass coat with resin using a painting roll and plastic spatula. Very important to avoid the air bubbles under the glass. It needs pretty much force, but be careful not to make the coat ropy.

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Reinforcement mast step area and backbone

Before 3rd coating of epoxy I apply a special glass tape reinforcement from bow to aft over the backbone, outside of the hull. I use 100 mm wide glass tape in one layer, because I’ll coat the whole hull with glass cloth. Dudley Dix suggested 450 g/m2 biaxial glass cloth for the mast step area, but it could be purchased only in 100 m length roll for outrageous price. However I could buy carbon cloth in the quantity I really need. The resin I use (SR 5550 by Sicomin) is perfectly suited for both the glass clothes and the carbon clothes also.

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Also reinforced the bow

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Second epoxy coat on hull

More layers give you more strength and a better surface. Later I am going to laminate glass clothes as well – it will need more epoxy layers – all together with the inner layers the thickness reaches 12 mm.

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