There you go Frank.
Very very good quality polyester obviously was used by Pearson in the '60s.
Grinded a whole lot on the laminate and it is real tough stuff. The resin to glass schedule to my amatuer eye looks right every accessable surface inside the hull. I've seen no puddling or starving. The only real problem with saturation (and fit) was at the lazarette bulkhead - everyelse the laminate is good and strong.
Along with the stringer and its tabbing it is probable that the tabbing used by the factory to hold the cabin sole and settees and bulkheads in adds significant stiffness and strength to the hull. Guess the schedule for the hull laminate totaled out at 3/8s with tabbing and overlaps adding 1/8" or more in places.
Navy did tests a decade ago on old frp barges they had. (Have to assume the polyester was similar to Pearson's.) No deterioration in overall strength was found. Would think the more active hull of an old sailboat would be a good indicator. In itself the laminate is as strong as the material can get, imco.
On the right reef, or picked up and thrown at a piling by a comber, I would call on the luck of 'The Way' and a pinch or two of 'Ave Maria' to save our butts.
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