Grand Banks construction

[Al]

Surprised that I have to make inquiry. Knowing that the woody hulls had plywood cabins, were they over layed with glass? And then when glass hulls came about, did the construction continue with wood houses glass over layed?
and then were the later,latest newer boats all glass, hull and cabin?

Al-Ketchikan 27' Marbin pocket CRUISER

 

[Capt.Bill11]

You might be better off asking those questions on the GB forums.

 

[Al]

I have faith in this forum, thank you

 

[Dawdler]

i'm pretty sure the wood hulled boats did not have any fiberglass on the cabin sides, but my wood GB was over 40 years ago so my memory could be wrong. Capt Bill's suggestion is a good one....

 

[jjorgenson3]

Only glass on ours is the pilot house and salon roof. Everything else is wood

 

[OreWa]

Our '71 GB 36 is all wood except the aft cabin top. Not sure if a PO did that or if it came that way from new.

 

[Lepke]

Depends on the builder. In the 60s it was common for larger wood cruisers to have fiberglass over plywood cabin tops. Prior to that, painted canvas and much rot. Better builders also had fiberglass over plywood decks even if they put teak or other wood down later. The only GB I remember from that time had varnished wood tops.

 

[FF]

Your eye is wonderful at seeing imperfections.

The GRP hull is built in a mold and comes out as good as the mold.

Cabin walls would take a set of molds almost as large as the hull mold and any imperfection would be easy to spot.

It would also require a huge investment to change the mold , to move a door or window.

For that reason simple plywood was used for deck, PH and other flatish areas.

THe glass slathered on the ply was to lower maint.

This was common for many builders.

When the hassles of buried ply was discovered a few years later , the better builders began either using real deck, PH molds or foam core for construction.