C-Flex FBG sheathing

[vicgin]

Been a long time since my last post. You guys were awesome with my restoration of a 1978 Offshore 22'. Still have it after 12 years.

My lifelong retirement was completely tanked. So, out of need I will build a 12x40' to go off grid on the ICW.

Got many study prints and few different plans with lofting pattterns and scantlings. Not totally happy with them. So a hybrid of sorts is needed.

Has anyone used "C-Flex" FBG sheathing? http://www.sintesfiberglass.com/id71.html

Its expensive, but could make sense for a twin hull houseboat.

Regards
Herbert

[thudpucker]

I looked into C-flex some years ago. I got disgusted with the amount of Resin you had to pour into and work into, all those little holes. I figured it would be better and cheaper and lighter to make it in Glass and Resin layups.
The stuff I was looking at came from New Orleans as I recall. That was over 25 years ago though. Anything I said might be hopelessly dated.

[vicgin]

Thanks Thudpucker (cool handle BTW).
Yeah its the same outfit. I have never done glass layups on a male mold. Don't know how to cost the per sq/ft either.
Regards
Herbert

[thudpucker]

I may have been wrong about this, but it seemed to me that you would have to baby-sit every bit of C-Flex you put up until the Resin set well enough to stay on its own.
Think if the bow section or a rounded Cabin section. How would you keep the Resin from running right back out with Gravity?

I think maybe they might have had a book. You could emal with that question.
I was in Alaska at the time. Shipping was a problem too.
Dont let my take away your thoughts.
Dick.

[Terry Ryan]

I have a Roberts offshore 38'. She was laid up in c flex and has proved very strong. To come up with a fair finish is most probably the biggest challenge.
26 years after launching and only one small blister.
Cheers

[Steve W]

We built a c-flex hull for a customer to finish off himself,this was probably 25 years ago,the boat was a Fred Bingham designed Allegra 24 sailboat, the guy we built it for finished it with plywood decks etc and did a first rate job of it.My recollection is that it was a good way to build a one off solid glass hull,it is basically small fiberglass rods between layers of glass cloth making a self fairing plank which when wet out with polyester marble casting resin (which produces low exotherm) provides a form with which to lay your mat/roving layup,what you end up with is a conventional solid fiberglass(no core) hull without requiring an elaborate mold. Its an easy to use product which is best suited to heavier displacement boats ,its a good product.We have also used it on several repair jobs where large areas of a hull are gone from serious damage and we make templates from the other side to get the shape,then make temporary wood frames which get screwed to the inside of the hull and then we use the c-flex over this to give sonething to do the layup over,this is of course only suitable for repairing solid glass hulls.
Steve.