So thick is your hull?

[Capt.Bill11]

This is the hull thickness near the keel and engine beds on the free Chris Craft 501 I picked up a few weeks ago. Solid glass. The laminate thickness changes from area to area on the hull of course. But very reassuring to see that kind of laminate schedule used.

 

[markpierce]

5 mm thinnest, 12 mm thickest

 

[Pau Hana]

1.75" at the keel, 1" bulkheads. No core material- solid glass.

 

[cappy208]

Mine is stated in factory specs as being 1" hand laid. But replacing a transducer showed 7/8". Close enough.

 

[oscar]

The early fiberglass boats were built to wood dimensions..... Until they figured out that the stuff was stronger and they could save money by using less of it. A side benefit was, of course, weight reduction which brought increased efficiency.

Out of curiosity....... what are you installing that needs a hole that big?

 

[Ski in NC]

I worked on an old FG boat from a builder just starting to use FG, built back in the 70's. That hull was at least 1.5" thick. Funny thing was the hole saw plug broke in two when cleared out of the hull. There was a thick layer of sawdust between the layers!!!

 

[Capt.Bill11]

Out of curiosity....... what are you installing that needs a hole that big?

I'm installing a 1kw transducer. Over kill for what the boat is going to be used for but it's what came with the new/used Raymarine electronics package we found on Craig's list.

And yes you can build with less glass and get a strong hull. But on a gut level I still get a warm fuzzy feeling when I see all that glass.

 

[Art]

Tollycraft we have tapers from approx 1.5" thick in its bow bottom section down to 3/4 " thick on sides toward transom.

One main reason there are sooooo many classic FRP boats still in good condition, besides owners' care, is the rugged way they were constructed. IMO... in 2016 there are several old 60 to 100 year old wood boats still on the water, but, during the next 100 + + years there will be Many Many old FRPs still on the water.

 

[bglad]

A fisherman who you used to go by the moniker Popeye in Key West way back had a Munroe 36 or 42 made to replace his wood boat. It was laid up heavy and had frames glassed into too. I saw it running towards Stock Island one day just off the beach south of Key West in a short steep chop. It wasn't bouncing at all. It was so heavy it was literally punching through the waves. Each time it hit one it looked like an explosion on the water during which the boat would disappear from view for a brief moment.

 

[O C Diver]

Tollycraft we have tapers from approx 1.5" thick in its bow bottom section down to 3/4 " thick on sides toward transom.

One main reason there are sooooo many classic FRP boats still in good condition, besides owners' care, is the rugged way they were constructed. IMO... in 2016 there are several old 60 to 100 year old wood boats still on the water, but, during the next 100 + + years there will be Many Many old FRPs still on the water.

Maybe.

Many of the FG hulls were over built super strong, but the remainder of the boat wasn't. If you look at the demise of so many FG boats, it's not hull failure but the cost of rebuilding or replacing decks, cabin structure, wiring, plumbing, ect.........unless you can do it yourself (no labor cost).

There are yards full of abandoned boats that aren't economically feasible to rebuild relative to what they are worth. Seems there is a thread every few weeks about a nightmare survey that makes a boat economically worthless with a perfectly good hull.

Ted

 

[Art]

Maybe.

Many of the FG hulls were over built super strong, but the remainder of the boat wasn't. If you look at the demise of so many FG boats, it's not hull failure but the cost of rebuilding or replacing decks, cabin structure, wiring, plumbing, ect.........unless you can do it yourself (no labor cost).

There are yards full of abandoned boats that aren't economically feasible to rebuild relative to what they are worth. Seems there is a thread every few weeks about a nightmare survey that makes a boat economically worthless with a perfectly good hull.

Ted

True Ted - True! However... the future antiques of well built FRPs (i.e. hull and superstructure) that are taken care of should outnumber the current antiques of well built woodies still floating today.

During the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's there was a plethora of rot filled woodies being dismantled. Still today there are many ol' woodies bighting the dust. And, by sheer numbers of mid 1960's through to today ongoing FRP builds I believe FRP's by far out number the builds of woodies from back in the early to mid 20th Century.