JEM Watercraft

So for a first time builder who has done no fibre glass work but wields a mean jigsaw and has a triton work bench and a large(ish) shed my question is: If I have the option of using 6mm and tape the seams or 4mm and resin the lot what do you recommend?

If this works (ie I manage to paddle 200 metres/yards without getting wet) I will be building another so it's important I have a successful boat and I'm not too worried about the weight and the technical bits like which way it wants to float.

Is applying the glass cloth in strips a viable (if not pretty) way to cover the whole hull?

by the way the plans I'm using are the free DK canoe ones.

thanks,

Tor

G'day Tor,

First up, I think you have chosen wisely for your first build. I really like the lines of this canoe.

Depending on the quality of your ply, 6mm with tape inside and out on the seams should be fine. This is only my opinion though, I have never built a tape only boat. For what my opinion is worth, I also think 4mm ply with tape only inside and out on the seams should be fine. Some designers recommend this on their boats. I would also go with 4 inch wide tape as a minimum.

If you decide to go with this method, I would recommend you saturate the ply, inside and out with several coats of epoxy resin to strengthen and protect it.

Completely Fibreglassing the inside of a multi-panel boat is at best, tricky, and in all probability, you will wind up with a lot of sanding to do. I did on my first build. I wore out two sanders on my swampgirl build.

Re the tape being viable - certainly. pretty, Yes it can be pretty too. There is an art in applying the resin so that the surface at the edge of the cglass is allmost impossible to see where the tape edge ends and the wood begins. (much more on this as the time approaches ) Again, it is not hard to do, you just need to know how.

Good luck on your build mate. please share with us your adventures with piccies if you can and we will help where-ever we can.

You COULD cover the hull in strip of glass. But it would be a royal pain.

If being able to apply the cloth is a concern, try using the fiberglass cloth in smaller pieces. Like 3 for the outside of the hull.

But the DK Touring canoe is a simple hull shape. Apply the glass to the outside is a pretty easy process if using a foam roller. Just don't mix all your epoxy at once. Use smaller batches.