Pagaie wrote:
I have finished assembling my S&G Pygmy hull (Arctic Tern). I have now
to fiberglass it.
I have read the manual and also a lots articles and personal building
pages on the web, and I am still confused, fearing the fiberglassing
step.
Some call for painting epoxy prior to fiberglassing, some not.
Some use squeegee and bristle brush and others say rollers are the
best.
So, before doing it I'd like to have a final piece of advice from you
readers, the pros and cons of different fiberglassing approach and
tools.

I can offer some pointers and non-pointers, having just finished up an
Arctic Tern (and starting on the 14' one for my son).

The long and short is I followed their directions. I used the roller to
apply epoxy, scraped and sanded it smooth with a paint scraper, then
draped the glass over the hull. Start in the middle, roll the epoxy on,
use squeegie to remove excess. Work your way fore and aft. Number #1 son
was the squeegie man while I rolled and mixed.

Here's my biggest glass mistakes.

I did not completely fill weave on follow-on coats, so you can feel the
glass weave a little when running hand over it.

I was in a hurry to get boat done prior to trip south in December, and
did the top of the hull in a cold garage, with the epoxy coating of the
topside not slippery smooth. Glass did not lay perfectly, as you roll
theglass it forced it to bunch a little in spots (vice sliding smoothly
when I did the bottom in the summer), and of course the epoxy was cold,
thick molasses. Top now looks like appalachians from a high airplane.
Structurally fine.

If I did it, anyone can. Boat is suh-weet! (Launched it this past weekend).