Bob from Olympia, 28 GA build

[Rbob]

Pics as promised, the keel had 1/8" low spots in a couple spots but the batten and strait edges with epoxy fixed it.







Added fairing to blend it in:

[Brian.Dixon]

Yup ... Tapatalk is failing for now.  I've been working on the web site instead, and on updating the plans manuals and drawings ...they're all out of date with old addresses and copyrights, and Windows got rid of a font that I used, so now I have to edit every drawing and tune font sizes and text locations.  I'll work on the forum issues after I finish the plans package update.  No errata is coming that I know of ... I checked issues pointed out by some and found that the updates had already made it into the last release.

Your fairing work looks really good, nice textbook example of how to do it right.  I like to fair between all layers, e.g. fair the wood ...then glass ...then fair ...then 2nd layer of glass ...then fair.  If you don't do it that way, then sometimes defects can add up and make life more difficult later.  It's better to take down high spots and fill the lows at every opportunity as you go.  You'll appreciate it later...

Brian

PS: Great pix!

[Rbob]

Brian,

I am thinking ahead again, when the sheer decks are added, do I glass the top of the sheer deck and wrap the glass onto the sides?

[Brian.Dixon]

Brian,

I am thinking ahead again, when the sheer decks are added, do I glass the top of the sheer deck and wrap the glass onto the sides?

Exactly!  Boats tend to flex in a 'hogging' and 'oil-canning' way.  As they climb up a swell, the bow wants to flex upward - which forces the sides outward.  When on top of a swell (like a teeter-totter), the opposite happens.  The sheer structure in this boat is designed to resist these flexions - it is effectively a horizontal beam.  If you glass the sheer decks and wrap it over onto the sides of the boat, the tensile strength added by the glass is a great back-up to the sheer structure.  A common place for boats to crack (and leak into the boat ...it's upholstery etc) is along the sheer and this is why.  Other stress concentration areas are along the bow stem and the transom corners.  These places flex like a hinge as the boat flexes, and that's why I use a heavy stem and the glass-reinforced epoxy putty for the transom corners... I've seen cracks in boats in all of these areas, but not in a Great Alaskan!

Brian

[Rbob]

Perfect explanation!  Since they are subject to abuse biax and 10oz should make it bullet proof!


Thank you!

[Brian.Dixon]

Perfect explanation!  Since they are subject to abuse biax and 10oz should make it bullet proof!


Thank you!

The Great Alaskan, as designed, is over-strong... on purpose, so imperfect builds or cheap plywood would still work fine

Brian

[Cannon]

Correction: The Great Alaskan is a Fish catching, rough water safe boat, designed to take it under rough conditions. Overbuilding would insinuate heavy, tank like construction, quite the opposite is true!   It is a stable craft which handles the seas with seaming ease!

PS, Send all donations to my PayPal account...Just kidding, in case you hadn't figured it out, I love my boat!

[Rbob]

That's a great report, and review.  Glad you are enjoying it, do you get out bottom fishing / halibut?

[Cannon]

I have been working at getting a house ready to sell. Haven't had time for fun other than just getting home from Mexico; two weeks of bliss...
I am planning on getting her cleaned up and going crabbing next week, depending on how the house sale is going.

[Brian.Dixon]

Hey .. thanks for the rave reviews!  It means a lot!   

Brian

[Rbob]

I finally finished the reverse chines and put glass on one bottom side of the hull, overlapped about 6" onto the side panels, transom and keel.

Laying down the glass is way more fun than sanding fairing compound.  I put space heaters under the hull to warm up the hull and the glass wetted out easily. It took me 3 hours by myself to get this done. 

Can I use a butt joint for the side panel glass to bottom panel glass since it is overlapped 6" onto the side? 

I tapered the glass on the keel overlap and will apply some fairing compound before applying the second row of bottom glass.   

[Brian.Dixon]

Re side panel to bottom panel glass and butt joint - You can use a butt joint, which is to say, the side panel glass just lays edge to edge with the bottom panel glass that overlaps up the sides.  I generally never use butt joints with glass, since you often have to fill and sand a thin gap between the edges anyway.  It's a little more sanding to overlap an inch or two, but easy to reach anyway.  You can decide....

You're doing fantastic work, BTW.  The boat is really going together beautifully!  Way nicer than what I do ... LOL...

Brian

[Cannon]

I finally finished the reverse chines and put glass on one bottom side of the hull, overlapped about 6" onto the side panels, transom and keel.

Laying down the glass is way more fun than sanding fairing compound.  I put space heaters under the hull to warm up the hull and the glass wetted out easily. It took me 3 hours by myself to get this done. 

Can I use a butt joint for the side panel glass to bottom panel glass since it is overlapped 6" onto the side? 

I tapered the glass on the keel overlap and will apply some fairing compound before applying the second row of bottom glass.   

I lapped mine, Inwanted no weak spots. I am sure that we "home" boat builders over build for the most part. However, that being said, I have seen a few that did not, and they paid a price. I would rather spend the little extra in time and cash than one day coming to the realization that I cut in the wrong spot. To me, bomb proof is a good thing.

[Rbob]

I decided not to do the butt joint. I filled along the edge of the side glass with fairing compound and a trowel. I ran a 1/2" bead of fairing compound with a pastry bag which worked great, one batch did one entire seam.

Since I have to sand these seams before applying the side glass, could I fill the weave on the bottom glass with thickened epoxy or a thin coat of fairing compound before adding the side glass? and do I need to sand the cloth before filling the weave?  Tomorrow night it will be 3 & 4 days cure for the bottom glass. 

[Brian.Dixon]

Glad you are going with the overlap.  That's my preference.

I know that some find it easier to fill the weave in glass with some fairing compound mixed into the epoxy, but I generally don't ... but I also don't use heavier than about 10-oz as a last layer of glass, so the weave doesn't need a lot of filling.  What I do is to first sand the cured glass lightly with a random orbital and around 100-grit paper - but lightly, just enough to smooth the epoxy a tad without getting into the glass.   If you DO touch a bit of glass here and there, don't worry about it, just try not to.  I find that with a light sanding like that, that the weave will fill much easier with straight epoxy rolled on.  That said, I do know that some swear by using some fairing compound - I just haven't found it necessary myself yet. 

And yes, it's OK to fill the weave before you add the side glass, and I do recommend it to some degree ... noting that you don't need to work so hard on it that the weave is finished completely.  After adding the side glass, you'll need to do similar work anyway.  Just fill enough of the weave for the next layer of glass to lay on it smoothly and call it good.  Do your 'finish work' later.

Brian