Restoring Vela: Episode 4 – A Classic Fiberglass Sailboat

Progress aboard Vela, the Graves Constellation undergoing a full restoration in our TotalBoat Workshop, is moving along nicely. The deck beams and carlins from episode 3 have been attached and glued in and this week we see the aft bulkhead shaped to prepare the boat for new decks. Once again, boatbuilder Dan Shea uses cedar strips to make precise patterns for 2 layers of marine plywood decking. Dan gives us some pointers on making the patterns and shows us how the first and second layer of plywood are bonded to each other and to the deck beams and deck flange. It’s a full on boat show for the cameras and we hope you will enjoy episode 4 in the Vela Restoration series. 

We have long been regaling our Thixo product for usefulness and versatility – and Dan really puts Thixo Flex to good use aboard Vela. The easily dispensable, 2 part thickened epoxy mixes itself as you use it via the special mixing tip. Dan has used Thixo Flex for so many of the important spots on Vela, like the deck beams construction and now also with the bonding of the deck to the hull flange. The flexible properties of Thixo Flex will prevent it from cracking as a result of being too stiff and brittle. It’s perfect for bonding applications as well as a bunch of other uses both above and below the waterline. Likewise, the 2:1 High Performance Epoxy is also flexible and as such, is ideal for wooden boats and wooden pieces like the deck pieces and the carlins, beams and so much more. Have you tried our Thixo, TotalBoat 5:1 Traditional Epoxy Kits or 2:1 High Performance Epoxy?

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