Jake,

You didn't say how you were building this boat. As in: female mold layup; stripper with the stated layup schedule; stitch and glue ply construction; lost wax technique? Actually, just kidding about the wax thing.

Let's assume, for the point of discussion, that you have a female mold and are going to do a conventional wet layup. If it were me, and I was building with the material you indicated, I'd put the Kevlar in the tool first, then the glass, followed by the final layer of Kevlar.

That way the hull would be built as if it were a sandwich layup of sorts. The toughest and strongest material would be working for you in compression and tension on the outside layers of the layup where it can do a much better job for you.

If you are not going to be using a gel coat for the exterior, it would be worthwhile to consider a good marine paint when you pull the part from the tool. Kevlar is highly susceptible to UV degradation. I know it looks cool but it breaks down under UV bombardment and loses a good deal of its strength that way. You could use a few coats of UV inhibiting varnish on the raw boat as a UV shield as well.

If you've never built with Kevlar before, it can be a very finnicky material. You'll need the best scissors you can find and keep them constantly sharp. Kevlar is so tough it will dull your cutting tools quickly. Try to get the Kevlar cut to the exact shape and size you will need as sanding and trimming after cure is also tedious.

It never hurts to do a small, inconsequential, layup with the planned material schedule to see how the stuff is to handle and post-work to finish.

I'd like to know about your build method to be able to give you a more defined answer.

Chris Ostlind