Cold-molding

I've read that the "deluxe" version of some of the older CC's were double planked. The ply on my 61 has only a few bad spots, but is aesthetically so-so.

Why can't I remove the glass, stabilize the ply with CPES, and use the cold mold technique to ad another 1/4" of mahogany over the outside? Would I not have a much stronger boat when complete? Upgrade to a 200 CID to make up the difference. I know from a purist standpoint this is not the best idea, but outside of that, is there a structural downside?

Suppose I'm copping out here? Pulling off all the original ply makes me a bit nervous.

Tim, I want you to try your restoration technique first and then we will talk again in 5 years about how it worked.

My first concern is your will end up with a "hybred" hull similar to to the fiberglassing of wood hulls that at one time were so popular to stop leaking. It didn't take long to find out what happens with that process. Yes, the CPES is a wonderfull product that I have had wonderfull success with but it will only penetrate the outside veneer of ply stopping at the first glue line. This is far from the "cold molding" process as that is a encapsulation of every layer of veneer. The attaching of the 1/4" is another problem. It's on the thin side for screws and too thick for the traditional cold molding use of staples. A large vacuum bag?? You are making more work for yourself instead of just going ahead and replacing the plywood! The last thing I want to say is I hope you are aware that even with the best UV protection on bright finished wood, the epoxy will eventually turn a milky white. There are plenty of Grand Crafts (Chris Craft reproductions) out there that are now afunny white color!

Tim, I hope I didn't come across as being too critical of your idea but I have been through the same thought process that you have. I do have the wood boat restore background and have talked to probably a dozen other people like myself and even some pros about the problem of damage in plywood. The biggest problem will be the scarfing but beyond that if you do it, I think you will find it easy. I've got some scarfing ideas that I will get into later.