> I've just finished two Great Auk hulls and I'm planning the fiberglassing
> stage using the West (or equivalent) epoxy resin system. I've a few basic
> questions. 1. Is a sealer epoxy-resin coat to the wood strongly
> recommended before the cloth (both hull-decks have been detectached from
> the forms intact)?. 2. I can buy 4 oz and 6 oz fiberglass cloth in 4ft or
> 5ft width. Which width is best.

> Also, I'm thinking of building a double Kayak next and I see that Nick
> illustrates a Great Auk double on page 184 of his book. Can the Great Auk
> single be lengthened to include a 2nd cockpit by simply extending the hull
> with aother frame 8 or is building Guillemot Double from scratch better?.

Hi Ray, I can only speak from what I've observed, but sealing the wood before laying the cloth seeems to do two things very well. 1) It seems to help get a better adhesion between the cloth and the substrate (ie:wood) and 2) it seems like it took about a half gallon less to seal it then cloth it than when I tried just putting the cloth over dry wood. As for lengthening, it might take more than just lengthening the strongback and adding another #8 form. I think there may be a little more geometry between the forms that that, but I'm sure Nick can answer that better than anyone. Good luck and happy building. Addictive isn't it;). Tom