: Reading ahead in my Arctic Tern instructions, I see that the inside of the
: hull is supposed to be glassed. I was surprise, then, to read in The (Old)
: Kayak Shop, by Chris Kulczycki, that he recommends not glassing the inside
: OR the outside of the hull. On p. 92 he simply instructs the builder to
: seal the inside of the hull with epoxy. On p. 124 there's a discussion of
: whether or not to fiberglass the outside of the hull.

: I've glassed the outside of my Tern hull already and laid a strip of glass
: from stem to stern on the outside hull seam. Does glassing the inside of
: the hull (rather than just sealing with a couple of coats of epoxy) really
: add anything to the structure besides weight? I'm thinking of just
: glassing the cockpit area.

: Opinions, anyone? Thanks.

How willing are you to test that theory against the potential of your hull having a conversation with a rock? (I don't have CK's Kayak Shop, but it would be interesting to see if the instructions changed in the new edition, based on experiences of not using glass...)

At the very least-- I'd glass the inside seams. When I was a kid, I had a Mirror Dinghy --- a 10'10" stitch & glue plywood sailing pram. The hull was not glassed, but all of the seams were fiberglass taped. Last year I found the source for Mirror Dinghy kits (as a one-design, you can't get the plans)-- it uses a thicker marine grade plywood than the Tern.) -- and since the kits are about $3000, including shipping from Ontario, I'm really kicking myself for selling that boat when I was twelve.

The Tern's deck is not glassed on the inside, but the inside seams are taped.... however, a deck typically isn't under as much stress as the hull.

You can save some weight on the inside by not adding fill coats.... and by doing a good job with a squeegee when you glass so you don't leave a puddle of resin in the center seam.

I don't have THE answer (I've dutifully glassed the inside of the Tern and both Coho's I've built).... the question boils down to how much risk you want to assume in finding the line between "light" and "stupid light" -- and whether saving a few pounds is worth it to you in having a boat that you may have to "baby" more-- If you're planning to race, the weight savings may be worth it.... if you're planning to take it out on multi-day camping trips and/or use it in places with boat-eating rocks, I'd glass it. (If you're going to take it camping, you won't notice the weight difference. Last summer A friend and I portaged the Tern and a Prijon Yukon Expedition plus a full load of camping gear (including luxurious camp chairs!) around a dam on the Missouri River in Montana-- we had about 3/4 mile to a mile to walk, and not once did I find myself thinking, "I wish this boat was 3 pounds lighter." I don't think I would have noticed.

Julie Kanarr