> Hello all;

> I am a newbie and considering building my first kayak.

> I was wondering if anybody has any thopughts about coating the areas that
> get scratched the most with fiber glass or that stuff that is used for
> spray in bed linners. I think that it may slow down the kayak but should
> proved good protection.

If you build a stripper, your hull will be completely covered with fiberglass fabric and resin. Feel free to add as much additional weight here as you want, but more than two layers of 4 ounce fabric seems to me to be a waste of money.

Many people get by nicely with the single layer of 4 ounce or 6 ounce material that covers the entire boat.

If you are boating in areas that are extremely rocky and find that the hull gets many scratches you can add more fiberglass cloth and resin to the areas that are most affected at any time.

I would suggest that for a first boat you build without additional layers of material, paddle a while, then see where you are getting scratches. You can add another layer of cloth and resin over the entire bottom at the end of the first boating season if necessary.

On the other hand, if you find that the single layer provided sufficient protection you can simply give it a light sanding and a few coats of varnish before putting it away for the winter, and congratulate yourself on building a durable boat that weighs less.

With stitch and glue construction and plywood panels the seams are typically covered with two ore more layers of fiberglass tape and resin. ( epoxy or po