Chesapeake 17 Kayak - Fiberglass the cockpit section - February 21, 2015

The cockpit section of the kayak is supposed to have a full piece of fiberglass cloth in it all the way up to the under side of the sheer clamps from the forward bulkhead to the aft bulkhead. 

I should have taken a picture of this before I wet it out with the unthickened epoxy but I didn't. Here are two pictures one looking from bow to stern the other looking from the stern towards the bow.

looking from stern to bow.

looking from bow to stern

The instructions say to do this at the same time as the fillets and fiberglass tape but I don't like to do that. The edge of the fiberglass tape never lies flat or smooth so I like to let that cure and then sand it flat. After that I put in the large piece of fiberglass cloth. 

I cut a piece that was the distance between the bulk heads then I laid it in the boat and smoothed it all out. Then with a sharpie marker I marked the cloth and then cut it to size. 

If this is your first time working a large piece of cloth with epoxy I recommend you do from the keel or center up to the sheer clamp on one side and then do the same on the other side. Work with small batches of epoxy so it does not become unworkable. Let it cure for 24 hours.