Yup keeps the air out and makes a strong bond with the backing material. Generally the internal radius should big enough to make it easy to roll through the corner. He liked to use the 4"x1" dia. cloth roller for applying resin and a steel for getting the air out. He was a big user of waxed paper too.

Hey guys, I just ran across some great information concerning fiberglass, gelcote, glitterflake, the works. 200 pages of how to.
http://infinitycomposites.com/app_guide/Composites_Application_Guide.pdf

Thanks Luckydog, is that so the resin can get in easier?

On stringers and other jointed points my dad used to say "no square corners" (round off inside and outside corners). Easier to keep the air out and lays up nicer/neater/stronger.

Thanks for that info Chet. It helps as a starting point. Bill, I also appreciate your experience with this. I guess I wouldn't expect much to go the same with an all glass resto. The point you make about the floor riding on the stringers and meeting it properly out toward the gunwales is very important. Fortunately I am a custom furniture and custom cabinet designer/builder, with over 30 yrs related carpentry experience. My weak point is working with fiberglass, so I am going to need all the help I can get for that end of the process. The boat builders in Key West used a glue they called gorilla snot to bed the stringers on semi-planing lobster boats, so I'm going to call my brother and see if he can find out what the stuff is really called. If I can pull this off, I may find an easier way to reinforce this hull. I appreciate both you guys help, because I need as much as I can get. Thanks, Rick.

My Vulture is the same core as the Vking. I considered glass only, but the more I thought about it, the more complicated it was getting. Stringers met the floor, before glass, but the bulheads went on top. I didn't want to change the height of the material that the floor sat on or height between the stringers. The core came up the sides just far enough that the plywood for the floor sits on it on the sides. I was doing a family boat and was less concerned with weight than getting a good bond along the sides. Again, my choice. I think there is more than 1 right answer to this question. Depends what you are looking to do with the boat. I like you, questioned every step along the way. Good thought process. Keep it up. Bill

I talked to our glass guy today and he said he would do about 4 extra layers of 1708 and possibly add stringers. He also made it clear every boat will be different and may need more or less. He is not a fan of balsa.

Thanks for the info Bill. You may be right about the balsa being cheaper than the fiberglass. I just wonder how thick you would need to go with the 'glass. I can't see needing 1/2" to get the same strength as the balsa, but I may be wrong. From what I've seen the Viking needs less surface area reinforced, so I would like to compare my options. Like I said at the top, my Action Marine was all glass, and just as light and fast as a 'Stream. I got to wonder if they were trying to cut cost when they decided to use the balsa.

I also went with the balsa. If you make sure to get a sandwich of balsa made that water cannot get into. It'll out last you and me. The materials are better than the original and the workmanship I did was way better than HS did. For the strength I got and the reduced weight, I would go the same route next time. I think the balsa would probably be cheaper then all those glass layers also. Jmo Bill

I didn't get enough info from him, I will ask next time I see him. I'm kind of curious myself.