Fibreglass | Topsides & Seatback Tops

The build manual suggests that it might be easier to 'glass the front and rear topside panels (fore and aft of the cabin topside area) when the boat is upside down.

I can't see how that would be a good idea, when it is an easy task to cover the entire upper hull with 'glass cloth all in one go.

So that's what I did.

First the overlaps from the cabin roof and topside panels were sanded and feather edged to accept the additional topside panels.

Here is the starboard overlap onto the rear panel, nice and smooth.

And here is the starboard overlap onto the forward panel. Again, nice and smooth.

Patterns for the topsides were made by laying paper along the panels and scribing in the curves and overlaps.

This is the rear topside pattern taped in place for a test fit on the port side.

And this is the pattern for the forward topside panel, taped in place on the starboard bow.

Next the patterns were taken inside the house to cut the 'glass panels. There isn't any room in the workshop to do this.

Here the patterns are held firmly in place on the rolled out cloth by a couple of stuffed chicken door stops. They work well, and don't talk back.

While marking out the cloth for each rear topside panel I added an overlap of 15cm to the top edge, so that the same piece of cloth will cover the seatback top and overlap down the seatback into the cockpit.

Here I am marking in the overlap on the 'glass cloth.

 I just use a rule to mark the cloth 15cm away from the edge of the paper pattern.

Then as always the cloth is cut just inside the marks to get a correctly fitting 'glass panel.

Here is the rear topside 'glass panel fitted and held in place on the starboard side, ready for wetting out.

And here is the forward topside 'glass panel clipped in place on the starboard bow.

Clear resin was then applied with a disposable roller to wet out all the panels.

This is the forward panel on the port side.

And this is the rear panel, again on the port side viewed from the front.

In the following pic you can see where the topside 'glass panel extends across the seatback top and overlaps down onto the seatback itself, in one seamless layer.

I carried the inside overlap down to the top edge of the seatback locker openings.

And finally here are the the newly covered topsides, seen from port at the stern.

Looking good!