Why should we fill all strakes ??

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Why should all strakes be filled ??
First off they protrude and are the first parts of any hull to hit what ever !! ,Next they make the hull panels flex and there always a constant battle raging trying too eliminate flex !! PLUS over time the flexing can cause delamination of the layers of fabrics inside strakes inside the hull and eventual cracking of the gel coat outside and OH NO you have a mysterious leak that I cant find !! (been there had that a couple of times)
So is a good idea when you re-coring your hull too take all these things into account and simply fill them in and cover them over !! even if the hull doesn't have any core they still need to be filled and glassed over properly !!
Remember they need more glass before filling them !! As can be seen in the photos an extra 2 layers of double bias glass was laid first then the high density foam was cut to shape and bogged into place slightly above the hull level !! After it was all hard then using a grinder was ground dead flat !!and a extra layer of csm and double bias glass got laid over the top to help seal !! This helps prevent any water getting into the next part of the laminate !! the boat in the photos are bigger boats yes but exactly the same principles apply regardless of size be they 10 foot long or even up to 60 feet or more fill them !

If a core is being laid it can be laid straight over the top and cover where the strakes are , this adds a lot to more stiffness in preventing flexing of the hull !! Don't forget the glass used over the top of the core is able to help to stiffen also ! so just a single layer of csm covering the core is doing absolutly nothing !! (I do remember some one doing just that!!) the hull always want to bend upwards so the inside top layer is the most important glass layer of all !

REMEMBER Glass laid flat and straight is able to add lots more stiffness and is way more durable than glass laid over small cored panels and down into and through the shape of strakes !! and if you chose the right fabrics and used the right way those stringers everyone is mad on fitting are not needed just the keel to hold the hull straight when sitting on the trailer !.

[Gorilla0178]

Well put, I agree. Turns them into mini stringers. Plus makes it easier to glass and and core over.

[XstreamVking]

Adds weight too....So good for some boats, not good for others...

[tunnels]

Adds weight too....So good for some boats, not good for others...

makes the hull stronger and stiffer !! everything comes at a price ! dont get nothing for nothing !! and if weight worries you that much go on a diet and drive naked !!

[tunnels]

Well put, I agree. Turns them into mini stringers. Plus makes it easier to glass and and core over.

yes all you have said AND the glassing is easier to lay ,PLUS the glass strands laying straight are way stronger and so the hull becomes noticeably stiffer !!

AS a matter of interest what glass laminate would you advise anyone to use over the core inside ?? how many layers ??

[FMP]

You have me wondering what % of manufactures didn't fill them and why. Even filling them fast with the gun would improve things and not much of a time eat.

[tunnels]

You have me wondering what % of manufactures didn't fill them and why. Even filling them fast with the gun would improve things and not much of a time eat.

Most manufactures I have come across don't fill strakes at all and is such a pity as it does improve the hull durability !! And you need much better glass the csm from a chopper gun !.
Every place I've worked they fill strakes or else !!
Don't ask question just do it !! and doesn't mater what sized boat is 10 foot or 60 foot they all get filled the same way ! the time taken is off set by the time saved laying the rest of the job and not having to spend time rolling glass into strakes PLUS makes the hull bottom more stiff and ridged .
Even the Chinese boat manufactures woke up to this quite some time back !! .
In a production environment it easy to pre cut the HD foam in long strips the right width off the side of sheet foam then set the band saw and cut the diagonal that almost fits perfectly and have it sitting ready so when the extra glass is laid the foam can be pressed into the extra wet glass and left to gel and harden then use a 7 inch grinder and flatten off and glass over the top and then carry on finishing the rest of the laminate .

[FMP]

I really couldn't name one Chinese made glass boat. Even so, the quality control of a parent company is what ultimately insures what is sent out the door. Whether it's Mexico or Australia or anywhere I do think environmental rules may play into the mix in some overall way not necessarily the strakes.
You figure high density foam is stronger than the gun?

[XstreamVking]

Strongest would be multiple roving strands running the length of the strake. Skip the putty and foam.

[MattGreen]

I'm curious what you folks with careers in fiberglass think about strakes that are filled with a stringer. On my Wellcraft Scarab (solid roving/CSM hull), the stringers (4, originally pine) sat in the strakes. I can kind of see that from a production standpoint that was faster/easier. The whole stringer assembly had been brad-nailed together, no bevels needed on the bottoms of the stringer, and it was dropped into the hull and very easy to align since the stringers just sit in the strakes. Unfortunatly, like most production boats, overall it was executed poorly and the stringers ranged from rotten to wet with delaminated glass. I'm in the process of replacing them (story for another time).

Matt

[J.R.]

Xtremwe Vking please clear some of your stored messages,it is not allowing any new messages :Despecially mine

[tunnels]

Strongest would be multiple roving strands running the length of the strake. Skip the putty and foam.
what ? you are always on about added weight !!, solid glass and resin doesn't come any heaver and laying strands in one direction how do you intend holding them all together ? Doing that its strong one way only and does very little for the stiffening and ridged strength that can be gained by using double bias glass and filling with foam and glassing over the top !! as has already been suggested makes a longitudinal mini stringer sort of !!

[tunnels]

I'm curious what you folks with careers in fiberglass think about strakes that are filled with a stringer. On my Wellcraft Scarab (solid roving/CSM hull), the stringers (4, originally pine) sat in the strakes. I can kind of see that from a production standpoint that was faster/easier. The whole stringer assembly had been brad-nailed together, no bevels needed on the bottoms of the stringer, and it was dropped into the hull and very easy to align since the stringers just sit in the strakes. Unfortunatly, like most production boats, overall it was executed poorly and the stringers ranged from rotten to wet with delaminated glass. I'm in the process of replacing them (story for another time).

Matt
Using wood anywhere inside any boat is a complete no no !! fitting it into strakes is plain laziness !! and after the wood GETS WET ,ROTS AND BECOMES USELESS then what ??
its only the glass that there that's doing anything so why not just use foam stringers that don't rot and decent glass over the top ? or better still fill the strakes as suggested glass over the top then do all the rest of the laminating, lay the core and glass over that and fit your foam stringer over top of that also !! why even worry all that and have a top hat fibreglass frame and dispense with the core and the single stringer completely !! using the glass in the laminate properly can also add significant stiffness by its self !!
In the case of hitting and damaging a strake or destroying a section like a hole, the water cannot get into the boat and cant get into the core !!
And as for using woven roving any where is obsolete and a complete waste of time ! that's ancient history method AND WAS NO GOOD THEN AND ITS NO GOOD NOW!! this is 2017 woven is old bad ways of building anything !!
As for wellcraft they make beautiful looking boats yes !! but there building methods really bad and very shoddy at best and materials used is complete rubbish like box wood or chip board even its yuk !!
In Tahiti they had a big wellcraft and had the deck off and completely gutted the hull from end to end as in totaly and were planning on total re building the inside using foan glass stringers and foam glass framing , was going to be a massive job !!

[tunnels]

What HDT value of your gelcoat do you like to see, minimally? No explanation or additional questions, just give a value.

what are you talking about ???gel coat has nothing to do with this thread !! BEEN SMOKING AGAIN ??

[Sutphil]

Is there a problem using strake filler like POLY-BOND B87 vs foam core material?

[XstreamVking]

It is a good material for filling strakes. No problems using it. I think bader has a summer and winter hardener system. Just a little heavier than using a hi-density foam, but is a less complicated process.

[Sutphil]

Thanks, I think a putty type filler would be more watertight as well if you damaged a strake.

[XstreamVking]

Sure makes em tough. If you remember the old Sutphen boats they had filled strakes. Ran lots of roving strands fore and aft with filler over that. Strong is an understatement.