DESIGNER

Michael Storer
Email – storerm@storerboatplans.com
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Licence.......................................................................................................................4
The Eureka FP – Designer's comments..................................................................5
MATERIALS – Metric.................................................................................................6
MATERIALS – Imperial..............................................................................................7
Miscellaneous Materials..........................................................................................8
Consumables..........................................................................................................8
Tools...........................................................................................................................9
Building the Eureka FP HULL.................................................................................10
Marking out the plywood.......................................................................................10
Cutting out the panels...........................................................................................10
Join the panel to length.........................................................................................11
Precoat the panels................................................................................................11
Drill wiring holes in Bilge Panels...........................................................................12
Assemble Bilge Panels to Bottom Panel...............................................................12
Assemble Side Panels to Bilge Panels.................................................................13
Stitch up Stems.....................................................................................................13
Fit Temporary Spreader Bars to hold hull sides apart correctly.............................14
Check twist of hull then tighten stitching...............................................................14
Fibreglass tape internal seams.............................................................................15
Sand the Fibreglass tape edges smooth...............................................................17
Trim the copper wire and fill the outside of the hull joins.......................................17
Fibreglass the outside of the seams.....................................................................18
Final Sanding........................................................................................................18
A General note on “The Furniture” - OPTIONS.....................................................19
Interior Layout.........................................................................................................20
Fit Bulkheads........................................................................................................20
Trim Gunwales and Inwales to Length..................................................................21
Glue Gunwales in place........................................................................................21
Clean up any excess glue.....................................................................................21
Fit Spacer blocks to inwales..................................................................................21
Epoxy coating the tricky bits of the inwales and spacer blocks.............................22
Plane corners off inside of inwale before gluing to hull.........................................22
Fitting the Decks.....................................................................................................23
Trimming down the inwale so deck can fit.............................................................23
Fit Centre Spreader...............................................................................................24
Fitting the seats.......................................................................................................25
Final finishing........................................................................................................26
Painting and Varnishing.........................................................................................27
Paint and Varnish Maintenance............................................................................27
A selection of MICHAEL STORER WOODEN BOAT PLANS................................28
Appendices..............................................................................................................29
Cordless Battery Drill with Clutch..........................................................................29
Wet-on-Wet Coating and Dewaxing Cured Epoxy.................................................29
One Hit coating and gluing....................................................................................30
Filleting and Gluing using “Snap Lock” Plastic Bags.............................................30
Precoating Plywood Panels before Assembly.......................................................31
Building strong lightweight boats - a note on the use of epoxy.............................32
Fibreglass taping method......................................................................................32
Gluing Endgrain....................................................................................................34

© Michael Storer 2011 Page 3 of 41

 LICENCE
The price of this plan entitles the purchaser to build one boat only. The rights to build
an additional boat are by the paying of a further license fee payable to the designer. The
cost for the second and further boats is reduced.
It is usual for plans to be non-returnable and non-refundable as it is too easy for them to
be copied, then returned. If you want to ask, do so, but I will usually refuse.
The purchaser must decide whether the craft will fit their purposes. I have offered a
description of the craft and its building which is offered in good faith, but it is limited in that
it is my opinion only.
As the workmanship and materials are out of the designer's control there is no guarantee
or warranty of any sort offered.
Remember too that it is the user that decides the use of the boat on a given day. Use the
boat in conditions you are comfortable with and gradually, as you get to know her, push
that envelope.
Of course, wear appropriate clothing, carry the appropriate safety gear and be clear on its
correct use.
Acknowledgements and an aside.
This plan pack is packed with hand illustrations made up by my good friend David Wilson.
All the klutzy machine drawings are mine!
David and Robert Ayliffe were responsible for debugging the building method but many
contributors since have added to the refinements.
We all spent a lot of time on it as this was the boat that was going to make us all rich. We
had a pipeline into Japan all set up with huge volumes of sales to schools.
For models alone I was going to be a millionaire (3 million schoolchildren multiplied by a
dollar fifty each and that was just my royalty)! But then there was the Kobe earthquake
which wiped our man in Japan out of existence – financially that is.
Ah well… you can read about it here.
But you get to build and use these wonderful boats. So perhaps this is the best of all
possible worlds after all.

© Michael Storer 2011 Page 4 of 41

 THE EUREKA FP – DESIGNER'S COMMENTS
The original, smaller EUREKA 130 was originally required to carry two Japanese
schoolchildren and light gear for a weekend away. During the design process it became
clear that the children that were being talked of were young adults.
The Eureka 155 was developed from the smaller boat. This allows stability to be improved
without creating a too blunt shape, which produces a boat more suitable for long distance
travelling or where carrying a load.
Reports of the first boat launched show it to be much easier to paddle than the usual
plywood canoe, and indeed much better than most production glass hulls - this becomes
important where distances are being covered - greatly reducing the effort required from the
paddlers.
The other major bit of feedback is on the appearance - Eurekas are very handsome boats
- quite unusual for the average plywood boatbuilding project.
We have been asked a lot about a canoe with more capacity than the 155. Mostly requests
to scale up the boat. This is not satisfactory because a 16ft boat ticks a lot of boxes that a
17.5 boat doesn't. And the panel developments don't scale if only one dimension extended
– all dimensions need to be scaled at once. So we were committed to two ply sheet length.

Enter the FP
We have been doing work on the FP project for a canoe with even more capacity through
the prompting of Richard Hayhoe, an American living in Japan. He was beset with a bunch
of health problems when the prototype building came around.
So we are currently finishing off a prototype in the Philippines. Or rather Job Ferranco and
Johnny Caman are.

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 5 of 41

This boat has another 100lbs available displacement relative to the original Eureka.
It is out to the 36" maximum normal width. Length is 4.73m (just short of 16ft). It squeezes
towards 470 lbs capacity with 8” of freeboard and maybe another half inch sinkage gives
another 65 lbs for use in some conditions.
Stylistically it owes a lot to the Classic Chestnut Prospector. The Prospector is a brilliant
canoe with high capacity. But at the same time it is sweet as a solo boat, where most high
volume boats just blow around and become difficult to manage with just one aboard.
Be clear that I am talking about stylistic cues. As soon as you move to ply in five panels for
simplicity the design reasoning has to be quite different, but I work hard to hit the right
numbers with the right appearance so the boat will perform well and look good.
Weight in the recommended gaboon ply with trim in cedar or Paulownia should see a
hullweight around 55 to 60lbs in 6mm ply.
It would also be possible to build in 3mm or 4mm (cable ties will have to be closer) with a
layer of 2oz (70gsm) glass on the outside on bottom and bilge panels and then just 25mm
or 1” onto the side panels. There is no need to use glass tape on the outside of the boat at
all with this arrangement. Weight might be just over 40lbs for this configuration with
Paulownia trim.

Resources on the Net

The Storer Boat Plans Facebook Group is very useful – Here is the building thread for the
prototype Eureka FP and you can browse the group and ask questions.
My website has a lot of information https://www.storerboatplans.com.
My Forum is good for questions – a past archive of many questions http://ow.ly/61HwC

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 6 of 41

 MATERIALS – METRIC
Comments on Materials
It is envisaged that the Eureka will be built of Gaboon (Okoume) Ply. Gaboon is about 2/3
the weight of the usual marine ply and finishes to a rich, mid brown colour.
The boat should be glued with a high solids epoxy system such as Bote Cote, or other
quality marine resin system.
The timber used in assembly should also be light. Clear oregon is specified for most
timberwork.

Materials list
All dimensions are finished sizes and are in mm unless stated otherwise.
WRC - Western Red Cedar (Australia) or other light, stable, straight grained timber with
good gluing properties. No loose or large knots. Alternatives are Kirri/Paulownia
Oregon - Douglas Fir, select dry stock. Fine grain, no knots. Alternative is Hoop Pine or
other pine

Part Size Length Qty Species Comment

5 or 6mm Ply 2440 x 1220 - 3 Gaboon (hull skin)**See note below

(used for marking out
Fairing batten 15 x 15 5100 1 Oregon
hull)
Gunwales 25 x 19 5100 2 Oregon
Deck Centre
25 x 15 2000 1 Oregon
Stringer
Inwales 25 x 12 5100 2 Oregon
Oregon or
Inwale spacers 25 x 12 5100 1
WRC
Seat Supports 45 x 19 5000 1 Oregon
Centre Spreader 75 x 19 1000 1 Oregon
Oregon or
Deck Supports 45 x 15 1200 1
WRC

**Important Note – the plywood selected requires a minimum sheet width of 1220mm (the
old standard of 4 feet width) to fit all the panels as they are drawn in this plan. The sheets
will be OK if they are 2440mm long rather than the 2500mm listed above but the width
needs to be the 1220 for easy marking out.
The original plan was for 5mm Gaboon ply, but this is now unavailable in most places, so I
recommend 6mm (1/4”) for most builders. It is possible to build of 4mm (3/16”) ply but the
hull after assembly needs some light (75gsm – 2oz) fibreglass cloth over the bottom and
bilge panels and then 25mm (1”) overlap onto the topside panel. This eliminates the need
for glass tape on the outside of the hull.

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 7 of 41

 MATERIALS – IMPERIAL
Comments on Materials
It is envisaged that the Eureka will be built of Gaboon (Okoume) Ply. Gaboon is about 2/3
the weight of the usual marine ply and finishes to a rich, mid brown colour.
The boat should be glued with a high solids epoxy system such as Bote Cote, or other
quality marine resin system.
The timber used in assembly should also be light. Clear oregon is specified for most
timberwork.
If wanting to build an extra lightweight Eureka, read Eureka Canoe Lightweight Version

Materials list
All dimensions are finished sizes and are in mm unless stated otherwise.
WRC - Western Red Cedar (Australia) or other light, stable, straight grained timber with
good gluing properties. No loose or large knots. Alternatives are Kirri/Paulownia
Oregon - Douglas Fir, select dry stock. Fine grain, no knots. Alternative is Hoop Pine or
other pine

Part Size Length Qty Species Comment

1/4” Ply 8ft x 4ft - 3 Gaboon (hull skin)**See note below

(used for marking out
Fairing batten 5/8” sq 16 1 Oregon
hull)
Gunwales 1x¾ 16 2 Oregon
Deck Centre
1 x 5/8 7 1 Oregon
Stringer
Inwales 1x½ 16 2 Oregon
Oregon or
Inwale spacers 1x½ 16 1
WRC
Seat Supports 1¾x¾ 16 1 Oregon
Centre Spreader 3x¾ 4 1 Oregon
Oregon or
Deck Supports 1¾x¾ 4 1
WRC

**Important Note – the plywood selected requires a minimum sheet width of 1220mm (the
old standard of 4 feet width) to fit all the panels as they are drawn in this plan. The sheets
will be OK if they are 2440mm long rather than the 2500mm listed above but the width
needs to be the 1220 for easy marking out.
The original plan was for 5mm Gaboon ply, but this is now unavailable in most places, so I
recommend 6mm (1/4”) for most builders. It is possible to build of 4mm (3/16”) ply but the
hull after assembly needs some light (75gsm – 2oz) fibreglass cloth over the bottom and
bilge panels and then 25mm (1”) overlap onto the topside panel. This eliminates the need
for glass tape on the outside of the hull.

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 8 of 41

Miscellaneous Materials
Epoxy 6 litres (1.5 Gallon) for full coating.
Fortifier gluing powder 0.5 kg or 1kg if not filleting the interior (1 kg / 2lb if fllleting)
Glass Comments – there are a number of choices for the glass taping, filleting or epoxying
of the panel joins. They are
1. The original method of glass taping the joins - Glass tape 50mm (2") x 48m (155ft)
2. Micro filleting and then filleting the inside seams (Page 15) – increase high strength
glue powder to 4 litres and reduce glass tape to 26m (86ft)
3. Glass cloth instead of glass taping external seams 5m x 1m width 70gsm glass
cloth (5 yards x 1 yard width 2oz glass cloth) . This is a very light cloth that wets
down and coats up nicely. Many suggest the glass needs to be much thicker than
this, however we have found it quite successful for cabined trailer boats up to 6m
(20ft). Reduce glass tape by 22m.

Consumables
Note - all these materials are included in kits supplied by me or Duck Flat Wooden Boats.
Barrier creme for hands Used religiously the epoxy will come off with soap and water.
DO NOT USE SOLVENTS FOR CLEANING SKIN.
Bag of disposable gloves
Disposable Brushes 12approx
Foam rollers 4 - the 150mm type with a thin layer of foam on the cardboard
roller. If you can get a short roller cage handle (50 or 75mm - ask your epoxy supplier or
included in kit) it means the rollers can be cut in three - a good economy for a little boat
like this.
Cable ties or copper wire We used to use cable ties (clear not black) from an electronic
shop – but some wire is useful for tough spots.
Bugle headed dry wall (Gyprock) screws
about 1 of 20mm (3/4") - see Appendix.
Masking tape 19mm (3/4") wide (the blue “Scotch” brand from 3M is the
best behaved
Roll of plastic packaging tape
37mm or 50mm wide (1 1/2 or 2").
Small bag of panel pins. (small nails for temporary use when marking out
plywood
Sheets sandpaper alumina paper (white grit) is best.
Use 150 or 180 grit for tidying up fibreglass tape
Use 240 grit for sanding plywood (along grain only!)
Some plastic sheeting useful to prevent epoxy drips making a mess on the floor
“Snap lock" plastic bags small size – box from supermarket
Clean, empty tin cans many
Stirring sticks made of scrap timber 200 by 20 by 6mm approx.

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 9 of 41

Two plastic inspection ports
for access to front and rear buoyancy tanks if fitted
(about 100mm, 4" diameter), available shipchandlers.

TOOLS
Tape Measure The best type for boatbuilding has Metric on one edge
and inches with sixteenths marked on other.
Metal straight edge Around a metre (3 - 4ft) long.
Combination square.
Jigsaw and/or Japanese back saw.
Reversible drill with clutch Use with bugle headed gyprock screws - see Appendix.
Planes Stanley #4 or Block Plane
Chisels 19mm or 25mm (3/4" and 1")
Sharpening Stone To keep the Planes and Chisels sharp.
Honing oil To use on stone. You can make your own by adding a
small amount of engine oil to Kerosene - a couple of
tablespoons to a pint.
Files A rasp and a medium cut file with round backs.
Sanding Block
Trestles Two or three trestles or saw horses - I have used foam
fruitboxes or milkcrates at different times which are
adequate. The most useful device of this type is the
Triton brand "workmate" which is a trestle with a built-in
sashcramp. It sells for around $110 though sometimes is
much cheaper.
Welder's spring clamps They are generally about $2 each, but must have strong
spring – a firm squeeze. Check them all - springiness
can vary a lot.

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 10 of 41

 BUILDING THE EUREKA FP HULL
Ply Layout Drawing

Marking out the plywood

Lay a sheet of gaboon (or other ply measuring minimum of 2440 x 1220 ie 8’x4’ sheets).
See note about plywood size in timber list.
Mark 300mm intervals across sheet as shown below, measuring out from the left side of
the sheet as below.
I have supplied the panel drawings (bottom panel, bilge panel and side panel) on different
pages so the dimensions are all clear – they marked on the same piece of plywood intially.
The final panel layout can be seen on the plywood layout drawing.

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 11 of 41

Mark out the first side panel from this drawing. Note that the the top and bottom edges of
the side panel are both MEASURED FROM THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE PLYWOOD.
When you are marking out the side panel make sure you write the word “sheer” in the
same place it appears on the drawing. The sheer is the top edge of the boat.

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 12 of 41

One the same ply use this Bilge Panel Drawing to mark out the first bilge panel shape.
Both the long edges are marked out from the centreline. Note that you need to add some
extra lines across the sheet where the curve is greater. They are 150mm from the existing
lines. You only need to draw them halfway across the sheet. You will need a more flexible
curve for the front section. I usually use a metal metre rule on its side for the tighter curve.

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 13 of 41

Mark a line along the same sheet 453mm from the edge as shown below. Follow by
marking out the bottom panel. Its left and right sides are also measured out from
reference line
Note that the bottom panel is reflected across the reference line AND IS ONE PIECE
(Don't cut it down the middle!!!).

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 14 of 41

Now to “join the dots”. Mark out the lines for each side of each panel in turn. Hammer
panel pins (fine nails) into each of the points for each line in turn and bend a batten around
the pins. Draw a line to join the measured points.
(Note that the bottom curve on the bilge panel gets very tight at the end. Note the
corner. Finish the curve with a more flexible batten - I usually use a steel straight
edge/ruler. Make sure that the two lines meet smoothly without a bump.)

Cutting out the panels

Cut the panels out. DO NOT CUT ALONG THE CENTRELINE OF THE BOTTOM PANEL.
The panels are quite close together. Get used to cutting the wide gaps accurately before
attempting the narrower ones. Do not remove the pencil lines as you cut. Do not rush.
The most important edge to cut and plane correctly is the straight edge of the bilge panel
marked “join”. Be exact!
Plane panels to lines where necessary. Plane carefully to the lines – stop before you plane
them off the plywood!
You can use the bottom panel that you have cut out to trace out the second bottom panel.
Run a sharp pencil around the outside.
Similarly you can use the bilge panel and side panel to trace around. Double check the
finished shape by comparing carefully with the panels you cut previously. Plane the new
panels to match.
Be careful with the offcuts - they may be useful later.

Join the panels to length

Join the panels using 75mm wide buttstraps.

Buttstrap length can be the full width of the
panel join, except for the side panel buttstrap.
It must be cut to finish 20mm away from the
sheer edge of the sidepanel.
You will need one bottom buttstrap (left in
drawing), two bilge panel buttstraps and two
side panel buttstraps.
(Before gluing make sure the panels are laid
out as right - It ensures that the buttstraps are
on the correct face of each panel.). Remember
that the side panel buttstraps are fitted 22mm
away from the sheerline.
PUT SOME PLASTIC UNDER THE JOINT AREAS TO STOP ACCIDENTAL GLUING TO
THE FLOOR.

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 15 of 41

Place the buttstraps in position, centrelines
aligned with the joint. Draw a line around
them.
It is important that the panels don't move while
the glue sets up. It can be worthwhile nailing
the panels to the floor or to a scrap piece of
ply or MDF placed underneath the plastic.
Mix epoxy glue exactly to the manufacturer's
directions. Then add some powder to stiffen the mix to a honey-like consistency. (Use the
recommended powder for high strength gluing - NOT talc, microballoons or Q-cels). Stir
very well.
Put epoxy on the buttstraps and put in position.
You can use three small offcuts of plywood to apply pressure on each buttstrap while the
glue hardens. Put panel pins in corners to stop movement. Put plastic packaging tape on
the three pieces to prevent them from sticking permanently. The three pieces of ply will
also prevent the nail heads from damaging the plywood.
A small amount of glue should ooze out
around edge. Clean up any excess.
When dry pull out the nails, plane any excess
length off the buttstraps so they are flush with
the side panels. Then the buttstrap edge
should be planed back to a 45 degree angle
on the flush fit edge. This is so the buttstraps
on the different panels don't touch and prevent
the panels matching up when they are stitched
together.
Turn the panels over and sand the other side
of the join clean. Only sand plywood in the
same direction as the woodgrain (i.e. along the panels).

Precoat the panels

To save time with finishing the boat the inside of the hull panels can all be given two to
three coats of epoxy at this point. Mask around the edges of the panels with 25mm
masking tape.
You don't add the powder when using the epoxy for coating the ply. It is good to have
about three hours available so that you can coat one side completely with two coats.
Make sure the panels look clean and tidy. Any accidental marks need to be removed
before coating with epoxy. Don't erase the marks for the bulkhead position!
Use the thin foam 75mm rollers and follow the directions about Coating in the appendix.
You may have to dewax the epoxy if not using Bote Cote. Symptoms of waxing are that the
sandpaper will clog up with lumps of waxy residue quickly making sanding very difficult.
Get advice from your epoxy supplier.
Remove the masking tape after the final coat. It is really difficult to remove after the epoxy
hardens!!!

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 16 of 41

Drill wiring holes in Bilge Panels
Work out the right sized hole for your stitching - copper wire or thin plastic cable ties.
Place both bilge panels on top of each other (so both can be marked then drilled at the
same time). Clamp them together. Thin white cable ties are normally 3mm (1/8”)
Distance of wiring holes from edge of plywood
PLYWOOD TYPE DISTANCE OF HOLE FROM EDGE

6mm 5-ply 5 to 6mm

5 or 6mm 3-ply 6 to 7mm

3 or 4mm 3-ply 7mm+

Drill holes around 100 to 150mm apart (make a stick that long to gauge spacings so holes
are evenly spaced) each side of the bilge panel starting from the panel join. Double the
number of holes in the curved area at the panel ends. If using really thin ply (3mm) you
may have to go down to 75mm spacings.
Drill holes 50mm apart along the straight line at the ends of the side panels.

Assemble Bilge Panels to Bottom Panel

Overview – as each panel is stitched to the

next they meet on the inside corners of the
panel edges. If the corner is sharp it can be
difficult to get a good alignment. If you
quickly run along the inside corner of each
panel (that's the side closest to the
buttstrap) with a sandpaper and block to
take off a little of the corner it will make the
job a lot easier. DO NOT REMOVE MUCH
MATERIAL. Just a little – less than a one
millimetre flat is enough.
Joins in the panels have to join up very accurately.
Working from the buttstrap area start drilling holes in the edge of the bottom panel to
match the holes in the bilge panel - start from the joins in the middle of the panels. Do four

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 17 of 41

or five cable ties on all the joins
As each hole is drilled stitch it with a length of copper wire or a plastic cable tie. Make each
tie a little loose - not tight – to allow the panels to move as you go. It is OK for there to be a
small gap between the panels at this stage – a few mm is fine.
When you get to the ends of the panels stitch up the stems. Drawing above.

Best Assembly Method.

Stitch together the bottom and bilge panels as above. This is the first sub assembly.
Stitch the ends of the topside panels together and fit spreader bars to separate the sides
photo above, dimensions below. You need two temporary spreaders 758mm long and one
915 long. They hold apart the edge marked “sheer” which is the top edge of the boat.
Don’t screw them tight. They should be able to rotate on the screws through the ply.
Locations below.

This gives you two assemblies as above. The bottom and bilge panel on the trestle and
the topside panels and spreader bars as on the floor.

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 18 of 41

Stitch together the two sub assemblies
Note the two pieces of timber across the assembly on the trestle that the topside panels
will rest on when they are lifted up.

When lifted up it looks like it won’t work. But just hold the panels in alignment and get the
first stitches on one side adjacent to the buttstraps drilled and wired up.
When you have six stitches in one side do the same on the other .. the middle of the boat
will now be the right width.
Keep working three stitches at a time out toward the ends and you will find the structure
adapts to the correct shape.
You will have to keep moving the two pieces of timber that separate the two assemblies
towards the ends of the boat until they are not needed any more.
Go to the stage for “Check twist of hull and tighten stitching below.Stitching the bottom
assembly to the top assembly.

Preparation before filleting/glass taping the

inside of the hull
We also suggest temporarily clamping the gunwale in
place on the outside of the hull until the gunwale and/or
inwale is to be glued to the hull.
An alternative is to screw it in place from the inside of the
hull using screws that are too short to go right through
the gunwale.
This distributes the curve in the sides along the whole
length of the hull rather than the bend concentrating at
the temporary spreaders.

Check twist of hull then tighten stitching

Sit it upside down on two trestles set up the same
distance from the middle of the boat. Adjust the hull so it

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 19 of 41

not twisted. Twist can be spotted by lying two pieces of timber across the bottom and
sighting down the length of the boat to see if their tops are level.
Tighten stitching working from the middle of the boat toward the ends. Do the join between
the bottom and bilge panels first, then the bilge panel to side panel join. Finish by working
from the bottom panel ends to the tip of the stems.
Check that the joins between the panels have closed up to less than a mm.

Prepare for Filleting/Taping interior

Turn the boat upright and place her on the two
trestles.
Make sure that the hull is not twisted again. Move
the trestles and add spacers if necessary. In rare
cases there need to be weights but in the boat.
After this next step the boat will start to be locked
into shape.
You will need to leave the boat in this position for
about 12 hours until the epoxy hardens.
The hull needs to be clean and free from dust.

Bond the seams inside the hull – Use Method 1 OR Method 2.

The next two sections explain the two methods

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 20 of 41

METHOD 1 FOR INTERNAL SEAMS
The section below this box is the cheapest, quickest and simplest way of doing the
fibreglass seams.
There are other options for doing the internal joins. Some people want to make the inside
of the boat look cleaner by removing the wire and use epoxy fillets.
We use straight backed fillets shaped with a straight ended stick rather than the radiused
type because they put more epoxy in shallow joins like the Eureka. In one place the join is
so shallow that the fillet has to be covered with fibreglass – but this is inside the buoyancy
tanks at the ends of the boat.
You will need to know the bulkhead positions which define the start of the buoyancy tanks
to know where you can glass the hull seam.

Method
Mark the position for the bulkheads first from the
diagram above
1. Do the complete join between the bottom of the
hull and the bilge panel with a filleting stick with
and end 8mm wide but only between the wires.
Put a small fillet – thick glue mix like peanut butter
- be very careful not to glue the wires in!
2. For the join between the side panel and the bilge
panel put the small fillets in the area in the middle
of the boat up to 50mm past the bulkhead positions.
3. Fillet the stems together – the joins up the middle
of the boat ends. If glass taping follow the method
on the next page. The wire will just be cut on the
outside in this area. You can use the 8mm filleting
stick and put the epoxy mix completely over the
cable ties or copper wire.
4. For the unfilleted area side panel and bilge
panels inside the buoyancy tanks the wire will not
be removed but won’t be visible inside the
buoyancy tanks. So just fillet the whole join and
put the glass tape over the top of the wires, the fillet, everything.
Clean up very carefully with a glue mixing stick that is sharpened like a chisel – or use a
chisel to get rid of any excess epoxy each side of the fillet.
Allow epoxy to cure.
Remove the wire carefully, so you don’t break the little fillets, by untwisting it, cutting off

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 21 of 41

the ends on the outside as close to the ply as possible and then removing from the inside.
Make up a filleting stick with a flat end 20mm wide and pretend to do a fillet to see if there
are any glue blobs that it will hit when you do the final fillet. Remove any blobs because
they will prevent the final fillet from being smooth. Mix epoxy and do a fillet over the small
fillets.

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 22 of 41

METHOD 2 FOR INTERNAL SEAMS – Fibreglass tape.
Cut the 50mm wide fibreglass tape to length. As in the diagram
it doesn't run the full length of the boat. It starts at the edge of
the edge of the centreline buttstraps and goes to the end of
each join. It is not necessary to glass tape over the buttstraps.
The tape along the bottom panel to bilge panel join shoud be
cut to continue up the length of the stems.
Put each length of tape to the side and label it so you know
where it belongs.
The best tool for applying epoxy to the glass tape is a 25mm
disposable brush. We usually trim the brush bristles short to
make it stiffer to work the epoxy. Trim the bristles down so they
are about 25mm long.
In applying the glass do the joins between the
bottom and bilge panels first then work from
the middle of the boat to the outside
Mix about 200ml of epoxy (if it starts getting
hot before you have finished it mix less next
time)and brush a thin layer along the bilge
panel/side panel join and up the length of the
inside stem join. Go about 30mm each side of
the join. Lay the fibreglass tape in the epoxy.
Work from the middle of the boat smoothing
out the tape with your gloved hands so there
are no wrinkles. Trim the ends with scissors if
required.
Again working from the middle of the boat
brush the glass tape. The tape will go clear
so you can see the wood underneath when it
has been worked enough. You may have to
add some epoxy by dipping the brush in the
tin.
Be very careful not to add so much epoxy that it creates runs.
Follow by doing the bilge panel/side panel joins.
After about an hour or when the epoxy becomes
quite tacky add a second coat of epoxy, just
brushed onto the fibreglass.
The purpose is to fill the weave of the epoxy so the
surface becomes smooth. This second coat can be
applied on the tape plus about an extra brush width
on each side of the tape. See the adjacent diagram.
If the fibreglass tape still has a woven texture
surface you can do one more coat on the tape only
once the second coat has become tacky.
Note. If not using Bote Cote epoxy it is probably necessary to remove the waxy residue

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 23 of 41

Sand the Fibreglass tape edges smooth inside the hull
Use a sanding block and some 150 grit sandpaper to smooth the edges of the fibreglass
tape. Use the side of the block to apply pressure to the tape edge only but keep the body
of of the block over the glass but not pressing hard. You don't want to wear through the
coating either side of the tape exposing the plywood. Use about 150 grit paper.
When most (90%) of the bump at the edge of the glass tape is gone go over the whole
glass tape without the block until the surface has lost its shine – approx 220 to 280 grit
paper will do this fine. See above diagram.
If you go through the resin to the wood those areas only will need a touch-up of two coats
of epoxy applied wet-on-wet then sanded smooth.
Leave the epoxy to cure overnight.

Cleaning up the outside of the hull - trim the copper wire and fill the
outside of the hull joins.

Turn the hull over and place on the trestles.

Trim off the copper wire using a Stanley or Carpet knife.

Using a block and sanding ALONG the grain bring the cable tie ends down flush with the
surface.
There is a vee shaped join along the length of the panels. This needs to be filled before

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 24 of 41

the outside seams are fibreglass taped.
Mix up epoxy and the gluing powder to a peanut butter (peanut paste) consistency. Work
along each seam filling the gap. Overfill it slightly but avoid getting the epoxy anywhere
else. (see next page)

Finally allow the epoxy to cure and sand the join to a radius. Don't cut into the plywood too
far. If you go through the epoxy to the plywood make sure sanding is along the grain.

Coat outside of hull and Fibreglass

the outside of the seams
See the appendices for coating and glass
taping in one process.
Alternative - have been experimenting with
an alternative of using very light glass
instead of glass tape. We use 70gsm (2oz)
glass cloth over the bottom and going
25mm past the join between the topside and
bilge panels – trim off the excess when the
resin is on the bottom panel of the boat only.
If using this method be very careful not to sand through the glass tape with a
sander along the chines, do the chine by hand and stop when the shine is gone
from the epoxy.
Get rid of any dust, rough spots and other things you don't want to stay with the boat
permanently!
The fibreglass tapes can run the full length of the hull this time. Cut the fibreglass tapes to
length and label.
Use the same method as the inside for applying the fibreglass tape. Recoat when the
epoxy becomes tacky. Avoid runs. If a third coat is needed to fill the weave of the
fibreglass, go ahead and do it!

Final Sanding
When the epoxy has hardened it is time to do the final sanding of the hull. Use the same
method as used inside the hull but be very careful not to sand through the fibreglass
over the corner of the join. Usually I don't sand it at all, concentrating my effort on getting
rid of the bump at the edge of the tape and only turning my attention to the curve of the
join at the very end, sanding it just enough with 280 grit paper to remove the shine.
If you go through the epoxy and expose the plywood those areas will have to be spotted
with two coats of epoxy and sanded smooth.
Your hull is now structurally sound and ready for the furniture!

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 25 of 41

A General note on “The Furniture” - OPTIONS
If you wish to omit the end tanks this is for your.
It is possible to build the boat to be structurally sound without the end bulkheads and
buoyancy tanks. Buoyancy tanks are recommended because of the additional safety
factor. If wanting to eliminate these items it will be necessary to fit a bow knee to the boat
and notch it to receive the inwale and first inwale spacer.

© Michael Storer 2017 Page 26 of 41

Hold bulkheads in place with two pairs of spring clamps as in drawing below.
As fibreglass tape or a fillet is being applied to the inside of the tanks only at this stage you
can use packaging tape on the outside to stop the bulkhead from moving. The glass can
finish 10mm or so below the top of the bulkhead.
Next day or when the glass/fillet is hard enough to hold the bulkhead in position an epoxy
fillet can be applied to the outside join between the bulkhead and the hull. The paddle
used to shape it should have a diameter of around 15mm.
Trim Gunwales and Inwales to Length
When bulkheads are secure the
temporary spacers can be
removed. The gunwales (25 x
15) are clamped on the outside
of the boat in position as per
diagram on right. The ends can
be trimmed flush with the
stems. Mark all of them so you know which side of the boat they come from.
The inwales can be clamped also as shown but will need to be trimmed perfectly flush with
the bulkheads. Mark each of them with the position of the join between the two pieces of
ply that make up the side panel. This becomes the reference point for fitting the inwale
spacers.

Glue Gunwales in place

(To make the gunwales look a
bit lighter in the ends I usually
glue them with the top edge
exactly flush with the top edge
of the plywood in the middle of
the boat but at the ends allow
them to come up above the ply by about 4mm. This excess is then planed off before
the gunwales are rounded).
Then take each gunwale off in turn, apply glue and clamp in place permanently. You may
need more clamps than shown above to hold the gunwale evenly in contact with the hull
side.

Clean up any excess glue.

When glue is hard the edges of the gunwales can be rounded using a plane - hold it in
place at one end and walk the length of the boat removing an equal shaving the whole
length of the gunwale. I usually put a large radius (say 10mm) on top edge and a smaller
radius (say 4mm) on bottom edge.
Finish off with sandpaper wrapped around a block. Sand along the grain.

Fit Spacer blocks to inwales

It is easiest to glue the space blocks to the
inwales and then glue the whole assembly
into place.
Inwale spacers (12 x 25mm) have different
lengths. Some trial and error is necessary to
get the length of the 4 longer end pieces.

© Michael Storer 2006 Page 28 of 41

The spaces between the blocks will look best if it is around 75mm.
1. Middle of the boat – 90mm long – fits across the join between the two pieces
of ply that make up the side panel – 2 required.
2. Ends of the boat – approx 200mm long – 4 Required – these butt up close to
bulkheads. Their actual length needs to be chosen to make sure the 50mm
inwale spacers are 75mm (or another even spacing) apart – 4 required.
3. All other spacers are 50mm long – about 23 per side.
To get the right spacing start by marking the position of the 90mm block in pencil on the
inwale – its centre lines up with the reference mark on the inwale from two steps ago.
Then proceed toward each end leaving 75mm gaps and then marking 50mm for the
spacer blocks.
The blocks right at the end abutting the bulkhead are to be longer – approx 200mm is a
guideline only. They can be as shorter or longer – but no shorter than 100mm. Leave the
end spacers a little bit longer than the inwale so there is an overlap to trim down neatly.
When you are satisfied the blocks can be glued in place and held in position with spring
clamps. Clean up any excess epoxy
When the epoxy is cured sand off any excess epoxy so that you can only see clean wood.

Epoxy coating the tricky bits of the inwales and spacer blocks
It is very difficult to get two coats of
epoxy on the inwales when they are glued
in place on the boat. The best thing to do
is to epoxy them now.
Use a trimmed down disposable brush as
before. Mix up a small amount of epoxy
(100ml?) and brush it on the ends of the
spacer blocks and the inside face of the
inwale as shown in adjacent figure. Try to
keep the epoxy away from the faces of the
spacer blocks which will glue to the hull later.
Apply a first thin coat and then when it
becomes quite tacky brush on a second coat
(ie use the wet-on-wet method).
When epoxy is cured sand off any runs and give the coated areas a light sand.

Plane corners off inside of inwale before gluing to hull.

Another bit that is hard to do when the inwale is glued in place is to round the edges. So
that is to be done now.
Use a plane and sandpaper on a block to take the edges off the inwale. A radius of about
6mm will look best.

© Michael Storer 2006 Page 29 of 41

When completely happy the inwales can have their final trim then be glued in place.

FITTING THE DECKS

Overview – the top of the deck finishes flush
with the gunwales. The Deck shape will vary
slightly from boat to boat. The diagram giving
sizing right is approximate only as a starting
point. The deck finishes with its top flush to
the hull sheerline. This requires all the support
structure for the deck to be set below the
sheerline by the thickness of the deck
plywood. (use a ply offcut as a gauge).
The piece of 45 x 15mm is cut to fit across the top
of the bulkhead on the inside of the compartment.
Mark, cut and plane it to match the curve on the top of the bulkhead.
Cut a notch (15mm wide and 25mm deep) at
the centre top of the bulkhead for the Deck
Centre Stringer (planed down 15 x 45mm to
finish 15 x 25) which will support the middle of
the deck in a straight line between the top of the
bulkhead and the centre of the bow.
Deck edge supports (15 x 15mm) fit inside the
end compartments for the deck to rest on and
glue to – see the two figures in this section
They are set below the sheerline so that when
the plywood deck is glued on top of them its top
will be flush with the top of the side panel.(use a
ply offcut as a gauge). Their front end fits
between the Deck Centre Stringer and the side
of the boat so needs to be cut to fit.
Glue the Deck Centre Stringer in first then the
Deck edge supports. The result should appear
as right.

Trimming down the inwale so deck can fit

It is perhaps simplest to trim the deck to just cover the top of the bulkhead, but a
nicer choice is to allow it to come past the
bulkhead by about 40mm and then cut it
with a slight curve. This does mean some
extra work but it will look just right on the
boat.
The diagram right shows what has to be done.
Dotted line shows position of the bulkhead
underneath the deck and the overhang and
curve of the deck edge.
The following figure shows how the inwale has
to be cut down (rebated) to the same level as the top of the bulkhead.

© Michael Storer 2006 Page 30 of 41

To mark the ply for the deck lay it on top.
To prevent it from moving it can be clamped to the gunwales and inwales.
Use a sharp pencil to mark it out from underneath being careful to run it along the edge of
the sheerline plywood. Mark some reference lines along the closest edge of the bulkhead
and also mark the edge of where the inwale has
been cut down.
Go slowly and carefully. Keep the pencil sharp.
Turn panel over, cut along the sides leaving a
bit of excess, leave a fair bit of excess on the
deck edge for the moment – at least 50mm
more than you want. That way if you plane
away too much you can simply slide the deck a
little toward the bow so the gaps disappear.
Plane down the excess from the sides.
When it fits neatly at the sides slide it into place and mark the bulkhead position again as
well as the position of the rebate in the inwale. Turn over and draw in a nice curve. Keep
the finished deck edge with about a 10mm overhang in the middle.
Do a dry run to make sure that you can hold it in place when you glue it down. Usually the
spring clamps work fine clamping the deck down to the gunwale. If they dont have enough
reach use some scrap pieces of timber (wrap in packaging tape so they don't stick
permanently!) between the clamps and the top of the deck to extend the reach.
When you have worked it out you are ready to coat the underside of the deck and glue the
decks in position.
Put two coats epoxy wet on wet on underside of decks and while the second coat is wet
the deck can be glued on with epoxy (plus gluing powder!).

Fit Centre Spreader

The centre spreader (75 x 20mm) fits
across the centre of the boat as
shown here. The screws will fit
underneath the gunwale. It is
recommended that you predrill the
holes being careful to carefully align
the holes so the screws will not come
out through the surface. The screws
can be stainless steel self tappers 10
gauge by 30mm.
Dry fit the spreader first as per
diagram right. Then it can be
sculpted to look sweet in the middle
of the hull. At needs to maintain the
75mm width at the ends but can be a
minimum of 37mm wide in the middle
so it can be cut down quite a bit.
Round the edges.
It may save time in the end if you give the spreader two coats of epoxy before it goes into
the boat. Avoid getting glue on the areas that will bond to the hull later.

© Michael Storer 2006 Page 31 of 41

Sand lightly when cured and glue in place.
FITTING THE SEATS

The seats are fitted in the above positions. These are average positions. Check the canoe
against the crew size – if you need more legroom for the front paddling position and want
to move it toward the centre of the boat – then the back seat will have to be moved an
equal amount also toward the middle of the boat.
The seats are in the positions shown in the General Arrangement Drawing on the previous
page. The seats are drawn at 200mm wide - but any width up to 300mm wide will be fine.

Seat Alternatives
Experienced canoists tend move their seats up about
70mm from where shown in the drawings. See pic
right. This gives more power for the paddle stroke.
Generally they will use a different seat style which
prevents the crew from sliding on the seats which
reduces the risk of them accidentally slipping to the
side and upsetting the canoe.
There are a couple of methods – use a waterproof
foam similar to that used on camping mats on a
plywood seat or one of the builders came up with the
neat solution right that uses some washing line cord
and plywood glued to the seat frame. Note how the holes are staggered to prevent the
plywood from splitting along the line of holes. Light and simple and looks great!

Cut front and back seat supports to match

hull. They are of 45 x 19mm and are cut to
match the side of the boat. The 45mm
dimension is vertical. The illustration
shows the seats upside-down.
Cut seat end pieces to increase the
surface area of the bond to the hull. Bevel
the angle to match the front and back seat
supports.
The undersides of the seat supports
should be rounded to a radius of 3 or 4
mm so they feel OK if a hand grabs them. The underside and top of seats can be epoxied
at this point with two coats wet-on-wet. When epoxy is cured it can be sanded to remove

© Michael Storer 2006 Page 32 of 41

the gloss.
Put seats in place then mark around their
contact with the side panels in pencil. This will
be the gluing area. Make sure it is sanded so
the epoxy is not glossy, then mask around them
with masking tape (leave a small extra margin
of 2 to 3mm).
Put glue on the masked area and put seats in
position. A couple of light weights will be
enough to hold them in place (don't use so much weight that the hull is distorted). Remove
any excess glue ooze then remove the masking tape – you don't want it to become a
permanent part of the boat.
Let glue set up overnight

Final finishing
The boat is almost finished!
Because you have done the work of coating components as they have been put in there
should only be a few bare pieces of wood requiring their two coats of epoxy.
You know how to do that by now!
Finally when all the epoxy has cured sand the surface lightly to remove the shine. The
boat is now ready for painting or varnishing.

© Michael Storer 2006 Page 33 of 41

 PAINTING AND VARNISHING
Paint is more durable and will protect the epoxy and timber the best.
Varnish hides a rough surface better. If you have done a rough job the timber grain will
hide it. Make sure the varnish contains ultra-violet filters.
My usual plan is to varnish the inside of open boats and decide to paint or varnish the
outside. Generally if you can store the boat indoors when not in use there is no reason to
not leave the outside clear finished. But it is going to be left outside much of the time I
would consider a painted exterior including the gunwales and remember to leave the boat
upside down.
There are two basic types of paints and varnishes.
1. Two pot - which is very hard and durable, but can be hard to get a good finish
with a brush and to touch up. You have to be careful of the fumes. No primer or
undercoat is required.
2. Conventional varnishes - thin with turps, are easier to put on, but may remain soft
for some time. The conventional varnishes often have a better gloss and I think
they are much more pleasant to use (feel nice/smell nice).

Use varnish and paints according to manufacturer's directions. A professional finish is 90

percent dependant on getting the surface smooth between each coat.
My tendency for maximum durability and best appearance would be to use a two pot
polyurethane for the outside, round to the underside of the gunwale, and a varnish on the
interior. For rough use I would paint the whole thing.
Consider masking off some of the floor areas with masking tape including nice rounded
corners and using a non-skid finish.

Paint and Varnish Maintenance

Hose it out after use. If leaving it outdoors for extended periods turn upside down on a
couple of bricks so that air can get under it and water can run off. If the epoxy coating is
damaged put three coats epoxy (wet on wet) on the exposed wood and touch up with
varnish or paint.
If varnish is continually exposed to sun it will need a light sand and two or three new coat
every year (less in Northern Australia). Two pot varnish will go for a couple of years under
the same conditions. Conventional paint can be given a fresh coat when it starts looking
shabby (3 years?). Two pot paints should be good for 5 years or more.
Keeping the boat out of the sun will reduce need for maintenance many fold.

© Michael Storer 2006 Page 34 of 41

 A SELECTION OF STORER BOAT PLANS
www.storerboatplans.com

Oz Goose – the simplest cheapest Family BOAT

12ft x 4ft x 120lbs (2.4 x 1.2 x 52kg) – $36
Up to 3 Adults and moves along in light breezes. Or single or double
handed for racing with Laser like downwind speed (13 to 15 knots)
Can be roofracked. Comes up easily from capsize with no water
aboard.
The Oz Goose can take an outboard or be rowed.

Goat Island Skiff

15’6 x 5’6” x 128lbs hull (4.6 x 1.65 x 59kg)
Up to 4 Adults and a picnic – plans $100
The “GIS” is my most popular plan. A strikingly handsome but very
easy to build. It carries up to four adults and still sails extremely well
– with one or two people aboard it has modern performance and will
whop any “character boat”. Takes a small outboard and rows nicely
too.

Eureka Canoe 155

15’6” x 33” x 46lbs (4.6 x 0.84 x 21kg)
Up to two adults & camping gear – plans $75
The Eureka is the closest you can get to a classic canoe shape in a
plywood boat. Traditional shapes give the easiest paddling and just
keep going when the water gets rough. The Eureka can be built
down to weights of around 15kg (34lbs)

Handy Punt
11’6” x 4’ x <100lbs (3.5 x 1.2 x <47kg)
Up to 3 adults and child – plans $80
The Handy Punt is a simple punt. Stable for fishing it can take
outboards up to 15hp, but 6 to 10hp is more normal! Narrow
enough to rooftop so the towbar is free for the caravan.

© Michael Storer 2006 Page 35 of 41

 APPENDICES
1/ Cordless Battery Drill with Clutch
2/ Wet on Wet Epoxy Application and dewaxing cured epoxy
3/ One hit coating and gluing
4/ Gluing and filleting using snap-lock Plastic Bags
5/ Precoating Plywood Panels before Assembly
6/ Building strong lightweight boats - a note on the use of epoxy
7/ Fibreglass taping method – coat and tape at the same time.
8/ Gluing endgrain

Cordless Battery Drill with Clutch.

A marriage made in heaven. The drill can be battery (most convenient) or mains powered.
It is best if it has a variable clutch. If you have a drill without a clutch, you can often buy a
new chuck with inbuilt clutch.
The screws are self tapping and match a Phillip's head bit in the drill. Just hold two pieces
of wood together with one hand and drive screw in with drill in other. Fast - and the screws
should be removed and may be re-used.
If you want to minimize the indentation where the screw
head meets the ply, use a plywood pad already placed on
screw. If gluing, the pad should have some plastic
packaging tape wrapped around it to stop accidental
bonding to the workpiece.
I mass produce the pads by cutting a strip of ply (usually
6mm, 1/4" thick) about 19mm wide (3/4"), covering one
side with packaging tape, then cutting it into 19mm (3/4")
squares.
Screws should be removed when the epoxy is hard
enough – usually the following day – it should feel hard
when you try to indent it with a thumbnail.
If the screws ever get stuck so they can’t be undone apply some heat using a cheap
electric soldering iron (right). A couple of minutes and the epoxy will soften enough for
them to be unscrewed.
Wet-on-Wet Coating and Dewaxing Cured Epoxy.
Great improvements have been made to Bote Cote brand epoxy in regards to this
problem. It is very unlikely to occur at all. All the preparation you need for the next process
is to sand the hardened epoxy surface. The wet-on-wet application method is still the best
as you don't have to sand between the coats.
However other brands of epoxy may suffer from wax.
As epoxy cures some of the unreacted components migrate to the surface, leaving a waxy
residue.
This can reduce the adhesion of following coats, whether epoxy or paint and make them
go "fish-eyed" (the surface finishes pitted).

© Michael Storer 2006 Page 36 of 41

This is why I always use a "wet-on-wet" epoxy application method (see "epoxy coating"
above). If the surface is allowed to cure it will have to be dewaxed (not Bote-Cote) and
sanded (Bote Cote too).
Dewaxing - When the two to three coats have cured I always de-wax the surface using a
plastic domestic scourer (Scotchbrite) and water with some cloudy ammonia added. Scrub
very thoroughly.
You can then sand the surface to key it for further painting, epoxying or gluing.

One Hit coating and gluing

An extension of wet on wet epoxying is a method for coating areas that are easy to get at
now (plain plywood compenents) may be hard to get at a bit later when other parts are
attached. A couple of examples are fitting the bottom, fitting the side decks and fitting
framing to the bulkheads.
For example if gluing the bottom panel in place it is easy to coat the inside of the bottom at
the same time. For major gluing processes like this it is important to make sure that
everything will work smoothly – do a DRY RUN without the epoxy to make sure that you
have enough screws etc to hold the bottom on OK – you can use the same holes again
when you are putting the bottom on permanently.
This is the method (put on your disposable gloves!!!).
1/ get all the framing that the bottom will be attached to bevelled and ready to accept glue
2/ put three coats of epoxy “wet on wet” on the inside of the bottom as per the mehod in
the appendix above.
3/ immediately put glue (epoxy plus the gluing thickening powder – make up to a peanut
paste thickness) on all the framing of the hull that the inside of the bottom will be glued to –
spread it out ready to take the bottom.
4/ drop the bottom on with its wet face in contact with the glue in the previous step and
screw the bottom in place.
5/ clean up any excess glue that has squeezed out of the joints about 20 minutes after the
assembly. If you wait till tomorrow you will be sanding forever. Use a flat piece of timber
sharpened to a chisel edge on the end with a sander.
The same method can be used when putting the framing on the bulkheads. Coat one side
of the bulkhead immediately before gluing the framing on that side.

Filleting and Gluing using “Snap Lock” Plastic Bags

Most supermarkets have varieties of “snap lock” bags. They have a seal across the
opening of the bag that can be pressed together with finger pressure. They make it a lot
easier to keep epoxy glue away from areas on the boat where you don't want to put it. And
also areas on yourself where you don't want to put it!
Make up some epoxy, thicken it to the consistency of peanut butter. Put a "snap lock" Glad
plastic bag into a tin and fold the top of bag over lip of tin (like a garbage bag in a garbage
bin - trashcan). Scrape epoxy into the bag.

© Michael Storer 2006 Page 37 of 41

Take bag out of tin, seal opening and cut one
corner out of bag to make a hole a few mm
(approx 1/4") across - size will need to vary
with consistency of mix.
By gently squeezing the bag a bead of epoxy
will ooze out of hole in controlled way from the
hole.
Pipe a bead of epoxy down the angle where
you want the fillet Then use a shaped piece of
timber as shown right to shape the epoxy.
Use a filleting stick of a radius three times the
lesser ply thickness to smooth down the fillet.
Practice getting it smooth and even.
Remove excess from either side of fillet with a
stirring stick that has been sharpened to a
chisel point. It is possible to lay masking tape down either side of the join in the first place
so that the excess can be removed with the tape.

Precoating Plywood Panels before Assembly.

I find this the best method, where possible.
It saves the effort of sanding between coats of epoxy and prevents any waxing problems
between the wet-on-wet coats.
Mask off all areas that you don't want coated. (Especially any areas you are going to glue
to later – not strictly necessary with the Eureka.)
Lay surface flat where possible.
Mix resin and hardener. You don't need to add any powder when you are coating –
they are only used when gluing one piece to another.
Apply first coat.
NOTE - If doing large areas the epoxy will go off too quickly if left in the mixing tin.
You will have much more working time if you pour most of it out over the surface
first and roughly spread with a squeegee, before going back with a roller to spread
properly.
Don’t bother to buy a commercial squeegee – just use an offcut of ply about 200 x
75+mm (8 x 3”). Make sure the working edge is straight and that you have sanded
the sharpness off the edges and corners.
When it is spread hold roller so it cannot rotate and pull gently along surface of epoxy. It
slicks the surface smooth and pop any air bubbles.
When first coat has become quite tacky, roll on second coat. Slick the surface.
When second coat is tacky roll on third (if required) and slick it down.
IMPORTANT - Remove masking tape when third coat is still tacky. You don't want to
glue it down - forever.
When epoxy is fully cured turn the panels over, sand off any drips that have come from the
other side and repeat process if required.
When the epoxy has cured sand the panels smooth using a random orbit sander (these

© Michael Storer 2006 Page 38 of 41

tools are a very worthwhile investment but hand is fine too). 180 grit paper is about right.
Sand enough to remove gloss.
If you have problems getting a good finish speak to your epoxy dealer.

Building strong lightweight boats - a note on the use of epoxy

Epoxy is expensive stuff, so when there is a bit left over from a process there is a
temptation to use it somewhere.
Don't do it! The boat has been carefully designed to be strong enough already - all you will
do is add weight and ruin the boat. Where you can use it for a legitimate step, do so - but
think about it first.
Another time it is best to throw out epoxy is if it is starting to go off in the bag or tin. If it is
starting to get too hot to comfortably hold it is going to be hard very shortly - you are
unlikely to have enough time to put it into place.
Furthermore, hot epoxy fillets slump badly, hot coatings wax and get fish-eye pitting, and
hot glue joins end up with lumps that stop clamping. Make up a smaller mix next time and
get it out on the surface earlier – straight after careful mixing in the tin or bag

Fibreglass taping method

The method for fibreglassing hull seams can use the same wet-on-wet approach as above
but with a small change to integrate the application of the glass tape. It makes it a very
clean and tidy process once you get the idea.
Fill any screw holes, allow the epoxy to cure and sand flat. Radius the edges that the tape
will be applied to. A minimum of 3mm (1/8”) is just enough to allow the glass to wrap
around without lifting. A bit more is better – but don’t round the edges around the transom
at the stern too much – the water wraps round the corner when sailing causing drag.
Apply first coat of epoxy to hull (pic below left). Note the masking tape to prevent epoxy
drips running around the corner onto the deck. The finish can be quite smooth by holding
the roller so it can’t turn and lightly and slowly skid it across the surface to pop bubbles
and get rid of roller marks..
Put glass tape down in wet epoxy (pic below right). I should be wearing gloves.

Detail of glass along transom.(pic below left). Use the roller or a cut down disposable

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brush (bristles not longer than 25mm (1”) to work epoxy into the glass tape – it goes clear
when the epoxy has wetted it out correctly.
An example of wetting out (pic below right) – the glass along transom is now wetted out
and becomes clear. Continuing with the transom sides – here cutting tape to length.
Roller method (pic below left)

Finished taping and second coat is put on when first gets tacky (pic below right) – roll the

epoxy out well so as to not add too much weight – but roll a little bit extra on the tape – too
much and it will run down the side.
When epoxy goes tacky apply a third thin coat and skid the roller to give a smooth finish.
If the weave pattern is still visible in the glass tape roll another coat to fill up the weave.
Leave epoxy to cure.
The next day – while the epoxy is still a little cheesy (if you leave it too long it will make this
hard work) set a fine spokeshave fine and get rid of the edge of the glass tape. Keep the
body of the spokeshave over the glass but set the blade with a tiny bit of depth on the
edge side but no depth on the other.
Work carefully and slowly.
Then sand the glass tape using the random orbit sander and 120 grit paper. Keep the
edge of the sander lined up with the edge of the glass, but keep the sander body over the

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tape. Angle the sander - concentrate a bit of weight on the side of the sander over the tape
edge and keep the rest of the sander off the surface of the tape.
Finish off by sanding the rest of the bottom to a matte finish (no gloss) but don’t go through
the epoxy to the timber.
Generally I brush a couple of thin coats onto any areas where I go through to the wood –
allow that section to cure and give a light sand – making sure I blend the edges of the
brushed area.

Gluing Endgrain
See drawing of endgrain right..
When gluing endgrain with epoxy it is a two stage process.
Mix enough resin and hardener to do the job. Stir well.
Brush the mixed epoxy onto the endgrain.
Wait 5 minutes - brush more epoxy on the endgrain. Now
add the high strength gluing powder to the epoxy in the
container and apply to gluing surfaces.
And hold in place by normal method until the epoxy sets
up. .

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