Bob Emser Fiberglasses Arabella's Tender

We are back in the shop with Bob Emser from The Art of Boat Building as he continues the build of Victoria, a 9” tender for her mother ship, Arabella.  With just over a month until launch day, you can catch up on Arabella’s progress over on Acorn to Arabella!  In today’s video of the week, Bob shares his tips on fiberglassing Victoria’s hull with High Performance Epoxy before getting her primed with TotalProtect Epoxy Primer.

One of the standout features of this video is the attention to detail and the numerous tips that Bob provides throughout the process. From making the epoxy fillets, to adding glass microballoons to the epoxy during fiberglassing, and the final sanding and priming, Bob takes viewers through each step of the process in a clear and concise manner.

First, Bob shows us how to create the perfect epoxy fillets on the bottom of the hull using High Performance Epoxy and wood flour as a thickener until it reaches a peanut butter consistency.  He provides a number of useful tips while going over the step by step process. Once they are down, he applies a strip of Peel Ply release film over the fillets before letting it cure overnight.  The Peel Ply leaves a smooth and even surface that will require less sanding.    

Now that the hull was nice and faired, Bob calls in the help of his friend, Pat, to assist in the next crucial step of fiberglassing.  Bob and Pat measure and cut the fiberglass to perfectly lay it over the hull.  Bob then mixes a batch of High Performance Epoxy with Slow Hardener and begins to wet out the cloth.  He starts in the middle and works from the top down, then forward to aft.  For the second and third coats, Bob adds glass microballoons to the epoxy. The hollow glass spheres are added to thicken the epoxy without adding any weight.  They create a lightweight, sandable compound that is ideal for fairing.   And finally, once the epoxy has fully cured, he sands the hull and attaches the skeg with thickened epoxy before moving on to the final step of the video: priming the hull with TotalProtect Epoxy Barrier Coat Primer in white. 

Overall, this video is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in fiberglassing a wooden boat.  With detailed instructions and valuable insights, boat builders and enthusiasts alike can learn a lot from Bob’s expertise.  Be sure to check out the full video below and let Bob know what you think about Victoria’s progress so far!