Jeff Avery on the Web
Fibreglassing (click any photo to see a larger version)
Finally the hull is ready for fibreglassing. The kit supplied a roll of fibreglass cloth which is applied to the hull but not the decking. I unrolled the cloth over the upturned hull and arranged it so that there were not any folds (photo 13).
Then I applied epoxy to the cloth, using a squeegee to evenly spread the epoxy and not get any air bubbles or puddles of epoxy trapped under the fibreglass. When finished, the fibreglass almost disappears, letting the plywood show as if varnished (photo 14).
After the fibreglass cloth was trimmed, I fitted the rubbing rails. These were epoxied to the hull with small nails temporarily holding them in place (photo 15).
When both rubbing rails were in place, packing tape was used to ensure a good fit against the hull (photo 16).
Now is where I had to bite the bullet: I had to cut holes for the fore and aft hatch openings in my recently completed decking! This seemed like an operation fraught with danger but it went easily. Remember, the plywood is only three millimetres thick 
so it is easy to cut. I just had to make sure that I cut it in the right place! Photo 17 shows a successful operation.
I was now pretty far along in the construction. Photo 18 shows the foam rubber seat installed. It also shows the webbing for the rudder pedals.
Painting and finishing
I had now reached the finishing stage. There are many options: I chose a varnished deck and a yellow-painted hull. In photo 19 I have put masking tape below the rubbing strip and am applying the first coat of finish coat.
I used spar varnish for the deck and this involved many coats, sanding with ever finer sandpaper between coats. Photo 20 shows the varnish drying on the kayak and on the hatch covers.
With the kayak construction finished, I made a set of small wheels that strap on the transom (photo 21) and added a T-handle at the bow (photo 22). At this point I also went shopping to buy a kayak paddle, a spray skirt, and other necessary equipment. Due to the hiatus that occurred after the original foredeck plywood split, it was now September.
The finished kayak, ready for it’s first paddle looks splendid (photo 23). Neighbours, seeing their reflections in the varnished deck, joked with me that I had made a piece of living room furniture rather than a kayak.
However, it is a kayak and I was determined to get out on the water in it. And so I did. Photo 24 shows the my Sea Wolf’s maiden voyage! The kayak handled beautifully and experienced kayakers praised it for it’s good lines and good tracking ability.
What a great project it was to build and what a great result it produced. Thank you Roy Folland for designing and offering the kit and for all the excellent support you gave me while I was building it.
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