Carbon Fiber Layup On Coaming

The cockpit rims on these boats are being finished with a carbon fiber layup. The fabric is 5.5oz twill weave from U.S. Composites. I cut an oversized piece and laid it over the coaming and cockpit opening, gently smoothing the wrinkles and puckers by hand.

After I was satisfied with the way the fabric was laying I poured a generous amount of unthickened epoxy around the rim. I worked the epoxy into the carbon fiber using a plastic squeegee and a disposable chip brush. The squeegee was used to hold the fabric from sliding while I pushed and dabbed with the brush to work the epoxy into the fabric.

Once the fabric was thoroughly saturated I laid pieces of fiberglass cloth over top of the carbon fiber and wet out the fiberglass with more epoxy. I read so many posts on the forum warning that carbon fiber should be covered in fiberglass to help contain sharp splinters and shards in case it shattered, that I became convinced it was just a ticking timebomb ready to explode at any moment and shower any unsuspecting bystanders with "Carbon Fiber Shrapnel".

Decking

Tie-down straps secure deck in place for nailing

Full sheets of plywood are laid on the hull and traced to the shape. Each piece is rough cut to size and secured down with straps. A marking jig is used to draw a line on the top of the deck for nail placement. Care is taken to place nails in the center of the sheer clamps.

The underside of the deck is coated with unthickened epoxy to seal it. The sheer clamps are coated with thickened epoxy, and the deck is positioned, stern section first.

The front section of deck is two pieces epoxied together with a scarf joint

The deck was nailed in position with bronze ring nails approximately four inches on center. The nails are redundant once the thickened epoxy cures. I debated not using the nails, but I could see the whole process going sideways without them.

Once the deck was securely attached, I used a jigsaw to trim close to the sheer, and finished with the block plane.

The glued and nailed deck is trimmed to the sheer

Installing Deck Beams

Jig for laminating deck beams

Both the Chesapeake 16lt and the Chesapeake 17lt require a pair of curved deck beams. A large one just forward of the cockpit opening, and a smaller one set near the bow. The larger of the two beams was made by laminating layers of 4mm plywood together on a jig. The smaller forward beam was cut directly from a piece of 1x4 pine.  With more forethought I would have made the laminated deck beam pieces longer and cut both beams from a single curved piece.

The directions call for attaching the deck beam with thickened epoxy and a single screw through each sheer into the beam. Like many builders on the CLC Forum, I opted to only use

Laminated deck beam is cleaned up and the sharp corners eased

the thickened epoxy and reinforce the deck beam with epoxy fillets. My thinking is that once the deck is securely attached to the deck beam and the sheer clamps the deck beams will be locked into position.

Deck beam clamped in position