: So I took the lid off my CLC Northbay and I'm currently beginning the process
: of stripping a new deck.

: I'm looking at this very large sheer clamp (1/2" by 3/4") and
: wondering if it's feasible to remove it entirely and just fillet and tape
: the deck to the S&G hull. I'm planning to at a minimum trim the thickness
: down to 3/8 or 1/2 inch but it occurs to me that if I can get it smaller
: or gone completely that might be okay.

: So, the question is, would the weight savings (replacing the sheers with
: fillets and tape)-- assuming there actually is weight savings-- be worth
: the trouble of trying to remove the sheers? Actually I don't think I'll be
: able to remove them completely, but I can trim them down to 1/8" or
: so.

: FrankP

I think the real problem is the angle between the deck and the hull. In order to have a solid joint, you need to make the fillet, which is what the sheer clamp is effectively doing. If you cut out the clamp, you need to be able to reach in to build up a fillet in its place. Fiberglass is really only effective when it is in tension, so you don't get much strength if it goes around an inside corner.