Glen-L.com

I'm pondring covering the hull with fibercloth across the hull rather than lenghtwise. This would avoid the need to lap over the "corners" (well exept at transom.Additional advantage would be smaller area of cloth to be epoxied at one time. The sections of cloth could be butt jointed together. Did anyone ever tired anything like this?

I forsee problems! For one a lot of butt joins, and the strips of cloth would be pretty odd shapes because the angle would change when it went from the bottom, around the chine, and onto the side panel.
My guess is you'd find it so difficult to get the joins right, you'd end up panicking and cutting the cloth at the chine anyway, thus doubling the amount of work and defeating the object of doing it that way!
A short straight butt join across the width of a panel is quite easy to do, but a very long one going right across the hull, with changing angles would be very tricky.
I also wonder about waste, when you cover lengthwise the offcuts are quite big and often useable elsewhere, a lot of small offcuts will probably be useless.

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Graham in Shepperton, England

Good, Quick, Cheap, pick any two.

Double lapping at planking junctions are done on purpose. These are the most vulnerable points and a double lap adds extra protection.
When we make up the Fiberglass Kits, material is provided so that no butt joints will be made. While butt joints can be made when using epoxy (never with polyester), we prefer to lap joints if the cloth must be pieced.

Sounds like you've got the wrong idea of how to do lap joints. Check your instructions.

Also, one variation I have used is to add several layers at the "beach point" and then shape that section to cut the water better and improve low speed steerage. I put about 1 1/2" on my Outrage and it helps a lot. Mostly though it means I don't have to worry about damage from floating objects or rocks if I beach her.

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Ken Franks
Calgary, Alberta
CANADA