Quick link to the Coast Guard Boat Documents site. FULL READ

Hardware installation with cores needs special attention. Although it does not rot, it also does not hold fasteners like wood. Attention needs to be given to how hardware is attached. Steve D'Antonio is a master at cored composites and has some great insights into this matter. FULL READ

Composite Construction Part II: Though the techniques and fundamental components differ, in modern sailboat construction the core materials are often the heart of the matter. In the first installment of this two-part series ("Decoding the Matrix"), the composite parts we described were solid FRP laminates, also called single-skin parts. FULL READ [...]

BOATBUILDING Part I: By understanding modern composite construction, boat owners and buyers can weigh the merits of costs, materials, strength, and value. Most of today’s hulls and decks are built from marine “composites”—a combination of materials in which each part keeps some of its original traits. FULL READ

Composite materials are broadly defined as those in which a binder is reinforced with a strengthening material. In modern terms, the binder is usually a resin, and the reinforcing material consists of glass strands (fiberglass), carbon fibers or aramid fibers. However, there are other composites too, such as ferrocement and wood resins, which are [...]

Chris Rogers has a wealth of composites information. Go check out his site to learn more about working with recycled materials. Explore Composites is a big how-to “book” about building with composites: tooling, materials, laminating and equipment. EC! is organized into Articles, Resources, Example Projects and Library sections. There’s a YouTube channel, Instagram and [...]