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A little more description now
By:Lou
Date: 9/3/2003, 6:31 am
In Response To: Re: Not Very Descriptive (C. Fronzek)

Well, I've now seen the boat, and it is not at all what I pictured. This is essentially a fiberglass shell, made over a form (then popped off) with polyester resin, only about 1/8" thick. It then had steamed ribs sprung into the shell, perhaps every 10 inches, and then connected with an outer keel, inner keelson and inner and outer gunwhales. The ribs seem to have been bonded to the shell with some sort of adhesive which in many places is giving up so that they still conform to the shape but don't make a perfectly tight fit. The boat only has a varnish finish on the woodwork, but nothing on the shell, so, as you can imagine, is completely translucent. I wonder about UV damage (is polyester susceptible to the same effects of UV as epoxy?), and also if the shell is becoming brittle over time. It seems to still have some flexibility, which is alarmingly evident in the ends where there are no ribs for the final 18 inches bow and stern. The entire boat, about 17 feet, weighs all of 25 or so pounds. Clearly not for extreme conditions, but it seems to have stood up to healthy use over the past 25 or so years. Anyone seen a boat like this before?

Messages In This Thread

Epoxy: Polyester/epoxy compatibility
Lou -- 9/2/2003, 3:14 pm
Re: Epoxy: Polyester/epoxy compatibility
Jay Babina -- 9/3/2003, 8:20 am
Re: Not Very Descriptive
C. Fronzek -- 9/2/2003, 5:15 pm
A little more description now
Lou -- 9/3/2003, 6:31 am
Re: A little more description now
C. Fronzek -- 9/3/2003, 9:29 am
Re: A little more description now
Lou -- 9/3/2003, 3:59 pm
Re: A little more description now
Paul G. Jacobson -- 9/3/2003, 10:05 pm
Re: A little more description now
Lou -- 9/4/2003, 9:49 am
Re: A little more description now
Mike Scarborough -- 9/3/2003, 9:13 am
Re: Epoxy: Polyester/epoxy compatibility
Alan Schwabacher -- 9/2/2003, 3:41 pm