Well I see why CLC prefers scarfs to butt joints. I�m trying to align the panels for my outriggers, and I�m having a devil of a time doing it. I used fiberglass butt joints, where you butt the panels together and use layers of fiberglass tape to bound the two panels together. I wound up with a really stiff joint but that�s the problem, they�re too stiff. That�s why I couldn�t get the panels to torture correctly. Even when I reduced the beam of the bulkheads for the floats, the panels wouldn�t take the shape. The cross section would be terrific at the bulkheads. But the minute it came across a butt joint, it would flatten right out. That�s why that shear clamp scarf blew out, the butt joint is stronger than the shear scarf!

I used three layers of glass at each but joint. 2in 4in and 6in wide tape, so it�s feathered out. The end thickness is a great as the plywood.

OK give up on torturing the panels and go for a simple Vee shape. Well I�ve still got a problem. I followed standard practice and staggered the butt joints so joint they wouldn�t align on purpose

Port float
4 ft, 8 ft, 8 ft port panel
8 ft, 8 ft, 4 ft starboard panel

Starboard float
8 ft, 8 ft, 4 ft port panel
4 ft, 8 ft, 8 ft starboard panel

But the butt joints are flattening the panels out, and since the joints are staggered, the centerlines of the hulls are weaving back and forth like a snake! It�s not much 2 degrees, but over 20ft it really shows up.

I could jig the deck to force it to shape, but it will just pop back after it�s removed from the jig.

I could pull the panels apart, and stitch them together so the scarfs are aligned

Port float
4 ft, 8 ft, 8 ft port panel
4 ft, 8 ft, 8 ft starboard panel

Starboard float
8 ft, 8 ft, 4 ft port panel
8 ft, 8 ft, 4 ft starboard panel

This should result in symmetric hulls, but there�s no way they will match each other. On the other hand I�m only going to have one hull in the water a a time. But now, I have to figure out how much aligning the scarfs is going to weaken the structure, and then calculate what I need to add structurally ( read more weight ) to make up for it.

Thoughts?