Bojangles

Seems like a good reason to use the domestic framed d/glazed units but with the fenestration to suit a canal boat.

Hardly a tyre kicker when I've bought four new boats over the years but I've also suffered the same ignorant negligence suffered by the OP. Where do get your assumption a "marketing man in a smart suit" is expected by an enquirer? I really think you are reaching wrong conclusions, perhaps based on your own requirements? All that is expected is a polite, helpful and informative answer to an initial enquiry. If a boat builder doesn't want enquiries by email, phone or snail mail why is he not honest and state in his advertisment 'personal callers only'. Which then means he has to interrupt his work schedule to deal with visitors and unable to prioritise his workload. Such a builder has poor business management as it is far more effective to deal with an initial enquiry in the evening by phone or email etc. Also if a builder doesn't know how to effectively sift out 'tyre kickers' without ignoring every enquiry his business will be doomed to failure. He must face that consequence or employ somebody to deal with initial enquiries informatively and politely - hardly rocket science. In business, no sales = no money = failure. This is being proved by the recent closures of some boat builders. Perhaps these builders would have not suffered their demise if they had dealt with their initial sales enquiries promptly and courteously.

This seems typical of widebeam and narrowboat builders. In the past I have done the same kind of research as yourself then emailed, snail mailed and telephoned boat builders. Many ignore your enquiry and you wonder why the hell they bother to waste their money advertising. If they ignore your initial contact, when they should be trying to get your business then can you expect them also to perform negligently once they've got your money and building your boat . My advice is if they ignore your enquiry do not consider doing any business with them unless you are a masochist.

A registered vessel is divided into 64ths and is possibly attributed, to the fact that ships traditionally had 64 ribs or the fact that under Queen Victoria ship owners were taxed 36% and left with the remaining 64%. Therefore owning the 64 shares equates to owning the whole vessel.

If you do a google for 'fine line masking tape' I think you'll find what you're looking for.

I would apply the peel ply immediately over the wetted out CSM and I doubt whether you'll have to apply much more ( if any) resin. Work any excess resin thru the peel ply. You can easily see the peel ply getting wet as it becomes a darker colour. The peel ply will help to hold the resin in a flat surface, even if vertical. If you feel you're not getting a smooth enough finish on the CSM you could try mixing a few 'micro-fibres', which are actually chopped up cellulose cotton fibres, into your resin mix. This will bulk up your mix and also act more as a filler If you're unsure about the system or the epoxy adhesion to your CSM why not try a test piece first on a scrap piece of ply before proceeding any further. I don't know if peel ply or rolling on a gel coat would be easier for you. On a flat surface may be gel coat would be easy but cabin sides if you painted the gel coat thick enough to cover the CSM strands I think you'd get 'curtains'. We used to have a sprayer nicknamed 'curtains'. lols

We've never sheathed hulls, cabins etc where it will be on show, using CSM . We always used either woven or bi-axial, tri-axial etc. The peel ply is a cloth and placed over the epoxy saturated glass. Then with a pliable scraper any excess epoxy is worked thru the peel ply. This should leave the peel ply smooth without wrinkles. When the epoxy has gone off you tear off the peel ply and the woven cloth will have a smooth finish ready for painting. If the surface is looked at very carefully you will find the surface is very very slightly 'pin pricked'. This ensures good adhesion of any following painting. The peel ply can be left on the cured epoxy for months if so required. We used to sheath sole boards then bulid the boat before tearing off all of the peel ply. If you want to bond another item to a peel plied surface just mark the area with a sharp stanley knife and tear off a piece of peel ply to allow the bonding. Times have moved on and materials may have changed but we were told when epoxying to never use CSM that was for produced for ordinary fibreglassing using polyester resin . That CSM has a fine white powder on the strands ( cannot be seen by eye) which enables the polyester resin to adhere to the strands but this white powder rejects epoxy. We were told only ever to use e-glass, which is not coated with the powder. If offered a roll of cheap e-glass , ensure it has never been wet/damp as the epoxy will not adhere. Hope this helps you PS. To fully answer your question. However many layers of glass you want to apply try not let a layer fully cure before applying the next layer. Wet a layer then lay on next cloth layer and wet thru etc etc till all the layers are wetted thru, then apply peel ply. If you do let a layer cure any subsequent layer will only achieve a mechanical bond rather than the much stronger chemical bond.

The professional way to finish off epoxy sheathing is with 'Peelply'. This is a silicone impregnated material that you cover the final epoxy coat with and squeegy any excess epoxy thru. Then when all gone off you peel off this material leaving a good finish for painting etc. This WEST EPOXY guide from Robbins you may find a useful on how to epoxy sheath.

Sounds like a question from HMRC I bought mine for a tenner at a boot sale, sir

Except when the local 'idiots' vandalise the lights to show green at both ends, then sit and watched their entertainment

Well said :lol:

There's a good value carvery for £3.50 at the Radford Bank, Mon - Sat inc. That's at bridge 98 on the Staffs & Worcs. Good moorings and walk up the steps over the bank and you're there within 30 secs. We often call in, might see you there?