Generally it isn't done because of the expense, i.e. Kevlar is very
expensive (unless you get lucky on e-bay...). If your motivation is
weight reduction, it may be best to consider a Kevlar / Carbon Fiber
laminate. This is because while Kevlar is very strong in *tension*, it
is not very strong in *compression or bending*, areas where Carbon
Fiber shines. Of course, we're talkin' epoxy as the binding resin
(something like Gougeon's Pro-Set line).

Cautions with Kevlar include: It is hygroscopic - it will absorb
moisture and therefore must be kept dry (another good reason to use
epoxy). Too, it is senstive to UV and will degrade after long
exposure, so don't store it outdoors (duh). But since you're using
epoxy, and you know that epoxy suffers the same fate if not painted,
this should be easy. You can't sand Kevlar; it simply 'fuzzes-up' and
makes a complete mess, hence your lamination schedule needs to keep
this in mind. Ordinary scissiors will not cut Kevlar, at least not for
long so you'll need to invest in 'Kevlar Shears', and it does not
become transparent when wet-out with resin (while to my eye the color
does change from Frenchs' Mustard to Gouldens Mustard yellow) so extra
care must be taken in this light.

I did, in fact (get lucky) so I used three layers of 22 oz Kevlar
laminated between 3 layers of 18 oz woven on the 'inside' of the hull
in what I felt were critical areas for *impact resistance*.
Remembering that Kevlar's real strength is in *tension*, many boat
builders are adding a Kevlar laminate to the inside of the hull to
improve impact resistance generally to the bow area and keel leading
edge.

Vacuum baging is probably used by those in-the-know, but is not
critical to success. I laminated the Kevlar in the traditional way,
i.e. roller and squeege and had no problems.

Mike Worrall
Los Angeles