>... in the local area to fill the bubble.

As I was saying before a muscle spasm/brain cramp posted my message....

I found the surface tension of the epoxy was strong enough in many cases (lotsa bubbles) to prevent the air from escaping. The icepick only temporarily opened a way out. After the bubble was gone, I used the same icepick or my gloved finger to smooth out the glass fibers if they were disturbed. I imagine that these bubbles could be filled well after they've fully cured using the needle/drill & syringe technique described in other responses here.

On the inside of the hull, though, my bubbles will remain. The deck and hull are joined now and only my gearbags are in any position to see the bubbles anyway. I feel they offer no measurable compromise in strength. None of them is larger than a quarter (maybe only 2 or 3 of those) and the others are mostly teeny-tiny.

This first boat was very educational, and I hope the next one to brings a whole new batch of mistakes to learn from. I certainly will have fewer bubbles by using the pick early and often.

Ed Valley