> I confess to also being interested in a moldless one off process but yet
> is still relatively constrained to a design.

> An approach I had in mind was building a strongback and form setup as
> usual but using that hard yellow foam for the forms. Then gluing a series
> of layers of string netting over the forms. Then series of thin layeres of
> spray foam (urethane) into the netting to get the shape. Sand down to the
> yellow forms and netting in order to get close to final shape. Then use a
> fairing board. Add glass, sand smooth, cut along shear, pop off, join up
> and paddle.

> I think I could make that work. An idea anyway.

> -mike

Yeah, I know a guy localy who did something like that. The only real problem/ drawback is that the ouside of the boat is not even close to smooth. After around 5 layers of glass and poly on the top and seven on the bottom, (10-12oz glass and 5oz poly) it is really difficult to get even close to a smooth surface. You also miss out on the best parts of boatbuilding- spraying your own custom design with gelcoat, pigment and plenty of colors metal flake on the inside of a female mold and poping the boat from the mold is always exciting to.

One VERY important part is to have 4 preferably 5 people to help lay up. each person has one quardrant of the boat, and one person mixes resin. The reason for this is the need for speed when using vinylester resins. Using epoxy would slow things down very slightly but would be really, really expensive. Wear a respirator with fresh chemical filters- the vinylester is nasty stuff. Definitly an outdoor (in the shade) project. Vinelyster will taint the taste of foods and other things simply by the vapors, plastic containers won't contain it.

Most people making molds/one of boats make the plug of wood, carve and sand to the derired form, fill with bondo, sand, spray with gelcoat, sand to a glass like surface, wax, spray with PVA, lay up a mold out of cheap glass matt on it. Then sand and finish the inside of your new mold the same way until it is glass like on the inside. To lay up the boat repeat the wax and PVA steps, spray a clear gelcoat layer, spray the desired designs with metal flake, wait for it to harden, lay up the fabric alternating glass and poly so that the last layer next to you skin will be poly (no splinters.) Pop the boat out of the mold halves, chop (cut volume out of the boat) the boat for your weight and desired uses, sand down to the fabric 2" on each side inside and out and apply seam tape inside and out, lay up a cock pit rim, glue in foam outfitting and paddle.

That is it in nutshell, hope it comes in usefull