> George As you may have noticed I have just recently began posting on this
> B.B.

As for anyone else who has made it this far, I would also be interested in
> your opinions. Thanks in advance.

> P.S.- I have avoided asking you any questions because I am from Canada and
> with the difference in the dollar, $20 US is like $500 Can. and I can't
> afford that.

I am jumping in this discussion a bit late but here goes. It seems to me that when this subject comes up its always 1/8 inch versus 1/4 inch, 2 ounce versus 6 ounce, multiple layers versus single, e-glass versus s-glass, etc. There is never discussion about applying the epoxy and fiberglass. One could use the best materials in the world but could build a "weaker" boat with a crappy lay-up. I think this is one of George's points (good god man I am agreeing with George on something!).

Mind you I am an amateur but did a lot of reading before I built my Great Auk. Hopefully I am not being redundant by mentioning a few things I learned.

1. Don't sand your strips past 100 grit - 80 is even better. Supposedly this gives the wood strips more tooth for the epoxy to grip.

2. Never clean the strips with acetone. It may leave gunk behind that can interfere with the epoxy/wood bond. Vacuum really well instead.

3. Do your lay-up soon after sanding before tannins and oils from the wood have a chance to migrate to the surface of your strips.

4. Spend the 10 bucks and get a laminating roller. Get the fiberglass as close as possible to your wood strips with the roller and squeegee off all excess resin. I believe George not only squeegees but then goes over the boat with paper towels to wipe off any excess resin!

For what its worth I went with Nicks standard lay-up and my yak weighs about 45 lbs with all safety gear (float bags, bulkheads, paddle float, etc.). Its plenty light enough to load on top of my truck and strong enough to crash onto a rocky beach through the surf. All of my paddling is done in the Pacific so am more concerned with my paddling skills than my lay-up falling apart.

Hope this helps, Rick