: I'm currently building Gary Dierking's T2 outrigger canoe, which has a very
: sharp keel from stem to stem, and quite a bit of rocker, as well (see the
: attached image of the forms), and am finally ready to begin glassing the
: outside. The plans call for 6oz glass, and I'll need one piece for each
: side. I'm trying to decide how to handle the keel.

: I'm concerned that if I try to overlap the glass at the keel, that it won't
: be able to make the sharp bend (I've rounded it over a little bit from the
: drawing, but it's still pretty sharp) without lifting, or be able to
: handle the rocker without wrinkling. As an alternative, I'm considering
: trimming both sheets at the keel, and adding a tape or two on top to
: protect the keel.

: I have a way of turning any fiberglass/painting/gluing job into a mess, and
: I've been dreading this step since I first started the boat. Any
: suggestions from those with experience would be greatly appreciated.

Laying out the glass on a slight bias allows it to conform to these sharp corners and combined angles better. Put the bow at one corner of the cloth and the stern at the opposite corner, you'll end up with two long triangles of "waste" cloth doing this but the glass lays out better doing it this way.

Bill H.