: Been thinking about why I'm stalled on the S&G canoe and realized I'm just
: not sure how to proceed, first timer and all. The boat is completely
: filleted and the wires all pulled. I need to lay tape on the inside seams
: and glass the outside. The designer says I don't need to glass the inside
: but I'm thinking that if I have enough glass left, I might do at least the
: floor on the inside. I don't really want to add the weight, but if it will
: make it more durable and extend its life, I'll do it gladly if I have
: enough glass.

: So should I put the tape down now and then do the outside or should I go
: ahead and do the outside first? If I put the tape down now and then don't
: glass the inside football, I'll want to do a few fill coats on the tape, I
: would think. I'm not planning to paint the inside, so I want to make the
: tape as invisible as possible. I'll also need to do a coat or two on the
: entire inside. So if I wait, I'll be epoxying in stages and won't get a
: chemical bond. Will that matter?

: I thought I understood the process, but now I'm not sure I understand
: anything.

: Patsy
Hi Patsy
I have had the vast experience of designing and building my own S&G kayak which is similar to a Chesapeake 16 with the ends chopped off. I built it from 4mm Pacific Maple ply. I glassed the bottom of mine on the inside only and reinforced the keel line inside and out. The boat is already a little heavier than I hoped for. I figure that if I look after it it will last for 30 or 40 years and if I has glassed it on both sides it would last for 40 or 50 but it would be too heavy for me to lift. I believe that glassing plywood is often unecessary. We built plywood boats for 40 years before epoxy coated glas became fashionable. Glassing adds a lot of weight for a only moderate gain in stiffness. I would suggest that you use as little glas as possible with the possible exception of the floor of the cockpit which gets a lot of wear.
Feel free to email me if you think I could help.
Regars Brian.