43 hours. Interior fiberglass

I didnt work on the WoodDuck at all last week. The temps were below zero at night and single digits during the day and since the next step involved fiberglassing which needs at least 55F my heaters just cant compete with temps that low, so nothing got done.

This weekend I fiberglassed the cockpit of the hull interior and encapsulated the entire hull interior in epoxy. 2 coats are recommended I did 3 coats in the cockpit and two on the rest. You can see the results up close in the photo below, the fiberglass weave has almost completely disappeared.

I also wet out the fiberglass tape in the deck seams and encapsulated the underside of the deck with 2 coats of epoxy, which really makes the Sapele wood grain pop. I didnt sand the glass tape seams on the underside of the deck much at all. I figured no one would see the underside of the deck so I only sanded enough that it wouldnt be rough on the paddlers knees if they rub on the underside. I've noticed my fillets are a little larger than others I have seen so my WoodDuck is not likely to be the lightest one ever built but I bet is rugged and lasts for a long time.

I should be just about ready to attach the deck to the hull sometime this week. Man, my shop is a mess, someone should clean it up before I trip on something......again.

Deck Seams. 39 hrs

I have removed all the wires and temporary forms from the deck. Last night I filletted the seams with thickened epoxy and laid the fiberglass tape in place. I'll wet-out the fiberglass today with resin.

I have a couple wires and a strap holding the deck in the proper shape, its not rigid at all with the forms removed and the straps will help hold it the shape it needs to be to match up with the hull. It doesnt look like it but the strap is tensioned just enough to pull the sides in about 1".

The hull is ready to sand the fiberglass tape edges then encapsulate the entire interior in resin and install the cockpit fiberglass.

Fiberglass Seams. 36 hours.

Over the last couple days, I removed all the wires from the hull and all the bulkheads. A trick to remove the wires that might have gotten glued in is to heat the end of the wire with a lighter, this softens the epoxy enough to pull the wire out. Its a neat trick found in the instruction book. Next, I laid the fiberglass strips into the seams and wet-out the fiberglass with straight epoxy using a squegee and a foam brush to work the epoxy through the cloth. The one permanent bulkhead will go back in soon but removing it allowed me to lay the fiberglass strips the full length of the hull instead of in pieces.

32 hours: First Fillets

this evening I began removing the wires in the hull and filleted the seams. The closest bulkhead pictured is the one permanent bulkhead. The others will be removed now.

Since I will not be installing a rear deck hatch I have deviated from the instructions and have not epoxied the permanant bulkhead in place.

When omitting the rear dech hatch the bulkhead needs to be removable until the deck is permanently attached so the seam between the deck and hull can be fiberglassed from the inside. Without the deck hatch, temporary removal of the bulkhead is your only access to the rear of the inside of the boat. Once the seam is epoxied and fiberglassed then the bulkhead can be epoxied in or siliconed in so that it can be removed for maintenance if the need ever arises. Thanks to the CLC boat forum folks for the silicone tip.

I was at first apprehensive about having to remove the bulkhead but have learned the prototype Wood Duck 10 never had a bulkhead at all. It was later added to the design to make the deck more rigid. So my hull should hold its shape just fine with the bulkhead removed for a few hours.

29 hours: Minor Disaster

I got everything tacked on the hull then filleted the transom and bow. Finally, I tacked the deck and placed it on the hull and began loosely wiring it in place so the deck joints could cure at the correct angles. The deck needed to scoot forward a little so I put my putty knife between the transom and the deck's rear edge to gently scoot it forward with a little prying action. It didnt easily move the deck forward so I pried a little more and all the tacks on the transom let loose!!!!! Ahww S&%!

Now what, the tacks on the deck are wet and going to cure in the wrong position if I just remove it. The transom is filleted and a mess now.

I decided to get the deck in place except for the aft 6" then used some super glue wicked into the deck joints from the outside to quickly harden the epoxy and the deck would be the proper shape in less than 5 minutes. I then removed the deck and re-stiched the transom. I couldnt get the curve exactly the same so it doesnt have the same arc, its more flat in the butt now. It is wired and clamped straight left to right though and should not be a problem. It just wont have as nice of a curved transition from the bottom to top of the transom.

I could have removed the epoxy from the transom with a putty knife and let it sit a day then come back to it and gotten the curve better but it really would have been a mess removing the epoxy so I am fine with it. I dont think anyone will notice the way it is unless you were to set mine next to another wood duck 10 and study them both closely, its a difference of 1/4", but I know its there. ;)

25 hours

All I did today was tack glue the hull and deck pieces that could be reached with the deck in place. Took less than an hour. I was careful not to glue the deck to the hull yet.The kit includes a syringe that makes applying the glue between the stitches really nice and neat. The syringe can be washed out and re-used. I will let this cure then remove the deck and finish tack gluing the inside of the hull and deck.

24 hours / 10 days.

I spent the last couple days and about 5 hours test fitting and wiring the deck to the hull. After 3 attempts I am happy with the fit. I had to remove the deck a couple times to close up some gaps in the deck pieces then re-install. It now appears symmetrical on both sides with no gaps.
I ran out of the supplied copper wire so I have switched to stainless steel lock/safety wire.

Now that everything fits nicely, the instructions have you remove the deck and tack glue between all the wires then remove all the wires. I think I will tack glue between the wires the sections of the hull and deck that I can access by reaching inside the kayak before I remove the deck. I think that will help ensure the two halves hold their shape when removed.