Catalytic homopolymerisation...

Epoxy, even under the best of circumstances, is no fun to work with. However, I'm old enough to have experienced the displeasure of working with polyester resin, so I'm very happy to be using a less toxic product. This said, epoxy is plenty toxic and every precaution should be taken when using the stuff. The dust is fine and a real pain to contain. I hope to get through the fiberglass stage as quickly as possible.

I have no previous experience with fiberglass, so I spent some time reading various tutorials and watching YouTube videos on the subject. Also, a friend who is building a kayak gave me some good tips from his experience. Some folks take the extra step of sealing the wood before wet out. I like this approach because it creates a uniform snag free surface to lay the glass on and allows for less epoxy to be used during wet out. Also, after sealing the boat, you get one more opportunity to detect imperfections better dealt with before glass is applied. When I rolled on the seal coat the mahogany came to life.

I found myself second guessing my decision to paint.

The inside will be bright for sure.

I chose 6 oz glass, some folks use 10 oz, to keep the weight down. My plan is to use two 50" wide by 16' long pieces, overlapping on the bottom and chines. The 6 oz glass laid down nicely without much trouble.

I'll be glassing one side at a time, feathering the layers at the joints. The transom will be done last. The glass cloth was easier to work with than I anticipated, just make sure to use hand softener first. It is worth taking the time to smooth the fabric as much as possible before wet out.

I found a plastic trowel was the most efficient way to apply the epoxy during wet out. I just poured epoxy where needed and spread evenly with the trowel. The trowel allows fairly precise control and seems to minimize the amount of epoxy used for a given area. All the tutorials warn against applying epoxy too heavily; I tried to follow this advice. When thoroughly saturated, the cloth becomes invisible. Extra epoxy must be removed before moving to the next section. This is referred to as tipping off.

It is best to mix the epoxy in small batches so all parts of the process can be completed before it goes off. Resist the urge to mess with the finish once it starts to harden. I found 6 ounces to be about right. Everyone agrees results are best if the temperature is kept above 70 degrees during application.

The cloth extends about 4 inches beyond the far chine. Each side requires three coats to completely fill the weave. I'm wetting out the second half of the boat below. Feathering the overlapping cloth properly takes a bit of practice but, if done correctly, the joints are invisible.

The transom is covered next, allowing for two layers of glass at the edges. I'll let the epoxy shrink for a couple days, then sand it smooth before I turn her over. Guess I better get working on the skeg.