> Don, I think a layer of 4oz. on the inside would make a huge difference in
> strength. My Wee Lassie canoe has 4oz. on both sides and seams quite
> strong.

> An interesting note on weight: while building my ultralight paddle, I
> weighed components as I progressed. The strip built blades weighed 3oz
> each before I applied 4oz glass to both sides and filled the weave with 2
> more coats. After the glass and epoxy they weighed 4.5 oz. This is
> unscientific but might help you determine how much weight will be added.
> You would probably not fill the weave on the inside deck.

> Larry C.

It's not the weight that's really the problem, guys. It's that I used 1-1/2" strips, and coated the interior with several coats of epoxy to keep it from going too far out of shape because I knew I was going to have to set it aside a while. So now there is a lot of sanding to do to get it smooth enough for glass.

So, while I hold all here responsible for the extra sanding, you also get the credit if it saves my bacon :-)

To add insult, the foam hand pad seems to work best. Ah, well, I need to be in better shape anyhow...