Kingfisher Drift Boat Build - Kevlar and Glass on the Inside of the Bottom

Now that I've got one side of the bottom of the Drift Boat covered with Kevlar and Fiberglass, I've got to flip the Plascore bottom over and do the inside. This is the side of the bottom that I'll be walking on and constructing the seats, storage etc.


The process is similar except I'll need to "Pre-Bend the bottom so that when the Kevlar and Fiberglass are applied the boat will cure and harden in a curved shape. The reason that this is important is that it will keep the inside surface of the bottom from puckering when the boat is stitched together since the inside surface will be in compression.

The side of the bottom that has just been glassed will face down and both ends of the panel must be raised 6-8 inches. I raised the bow 8" and the stern 6". I used chunks of 4x4 material placed underneath to achieve the lift at the bow and stern. I then took fender washers and used screws with finish washers to keep the middle section down and pressed against the plywood table. I used 4 of these washer hold-downs, 2 on each side.

Once this was set up I just repeated the same process as I did on the other side.

Construction Sequence Photos

This photo shows two 4x4's under the bow section for a lift of about 8"

Here I used a single 4x4, but scooted it in to achieve a raise of about 7"

I used a fender washer with a screw and finish washer to hold the center section down against the table. I used a scrap of Plascore to insure I had even pressure down to the table. I located these "Hold-downs" about 3'6" back from the bow and stern.

Here is the finished bottom with the finish hardened and the edges trimmed.

Next Up - Finish Sanding the Side Panels