Hull layers

Advice
#1

Probably a dumb question, but approximately how many layers of cloth are usually in a composite (carbon/kevlar hull)?

I had some abrasion where my heels rub inside the hull. I just layed a small patch of fiberglass cloth and epoxy. I’m wondering how much damage would be done if the first layer of the original cloth was rubbed through. I patched it before it got to that point, but I curious how big an issue that type of abrasion actually is.

#2

Which hull? I have hulls with as few as
2 layers and some as many as 12.


:^)



Mick

#3

P&H Capella

#4

I’ve seen a hole rubbed all the way
through a hull by friction of heels. Most of the the people I know glue heel pads onto the inside of the hull to protect against this. Neoprene works for this purpose. I made mine out of indoor/outdoor carpet which works just as well and doesn’t retain water.

#5

pads
I thought of getting some of those, but I was afraid I’d be kicking them all the time and that they would be peeling up and coming unglued. Does this happen, and do you have to keep re gluing them?

#6

WW composite boats often have
4-5 layers in the bottom and 3-4 in the top. I have never heard of a composite WW hull being worn through from the inside by heel friction, nor by knee friction in c-1s. I suppose anything is possible, but in boats with one or two Kevlar inside layers, wear should be very low.



Maybe sand is a factor. Some users of sea kayaks may carry sand in on footwear to act as an abrasive.

#7

zactly
a coho I made had wear thorugh three layers of 4oz s-glass and into the wood. A friends kevlar Extreme was worn through the kevlar into the core material.

#8

What are you wearing
that makes holes in the boats?



I am usually barefoot or wear neo booties…



Just wondering how you do that… or is it because of the rudder controls.

#9

not my boats
The Coho was used on trips by different people over a few years. The Extreme is paddled three times a week at least two hours each time 50 weeks/year. Just a little grit under water shoes grinds,grinds, grinds. Imagine a shoe grinding for 300hrs non-stop with some fine sand.