> I am in the process of building a Chesapeake 17 and want to glass the
> deck. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to finish the edges. If I
> use a rubrail, do I wrap the glass over the hull to deck joint and then
> install the rub rail. Do I just wrap the glass over the hull to deck joint
> and not install a rubrail. Do I just cut the glass flush with the edge of
> the deck? How about glassing the underside of the deck before I install
> it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am using 1/8 luan for
> the hull and deck. Thanks

Chris, We build our S&G boats with cambered decks of 3mm okoume. There has been past discussion on the difficulty of installing cambered decks, and the adequacy of 3mm plywood. What we do is pre-camber the decks and glass the inside with 4oz prior to installation. We overbend them slightly (since they spring back a wee bit) and hold them with 16 ga. crosswires spaced about a foot apart while we are glassing.

The decks are then a snap to install and hatch cutouts hold the camber. Also, while bending, the wood gets tension on the outside and compression on the inside, however, the actual stresses most commonly on the finished boat are just the opposite (climb on the rear deck, for instance). The result is also a MUCH stiffer deck. We don't glass the exterior, just epoxy.

Hope this is helpful. Grant