Those 48'' bottom boats back troll awesome. Ive rowed mine in comparison to other aluminum, wider bottom boats, and they track/ hold amazing.
You will likely find that you will need to install bottom chines. The effects of not having them probably wont be immediately felt.
The sole purpose of the bottom chine batten is to protect that seem of the boat, its the most fragile.
Two things can happen:
1. The bottom edge of the boat is the most fragile, and actually will take more direct hits than the bottom of the boat, sometimes resulting in the glass actually separating from the wood allowing water access behind your glass, often times making so the water is trapped for long durations of time.
2. If the bottom edge of the boat was a sharp corner the glass was rolled over, it likely will lead to cracking on the seemed edge from repeated bumps from rocks. (inevitable bumping of rocks) . From there water will penetrate the wood.
The good news:
The most appropriate technique is to actually install the chines over the top of the glass, as too protect the glass from direct impact on that seem. The glass is tough, but on the corner it is fragile. So there wouldnt be much work going back words.
Its better to actually sand the corner of the boat round before laying glass and epoxy over the edge. After glassing and layering of epoxy then you install the squared chine batten, and fill the radius area with filler, (epoxy and wood flour mix) or something of the nature. Then finish with layers of epoxy and graphite to hide the seem.
I think your boat will be okay in the near future, long term you may end up undoing the nice work you guys just finished.
1.) Make sure you have rounded the edge of the bottom of the boat where it meets the side to make a smooth transition in which to lay your glass tape. (You do not want to lay tape over a sharp chine edge... so you have to round that edge first.) At this point most framed boat guys will cringe at the thought of rounding your chine... but don't worry you get the sharp chine back later in the process.
2.) Tape and epoxy the rounded chine edge - the tape should only go up the side the width of the chine batten. (so it will be covered when the batten is applied later).
3.) Wet out the glass bottom so it overlaps the tape and you have the entire bottom covered.
4.) Apply subsequent coats while the previous layer is tacky or if you wait in between coats be sure to create a mechanical bond by clearing blush and lightly scratching the surface by sanding a bit.
5.) I mixed graphite powder in the last 3 coats of epoxy over the weave - just apply coats until the weave is filled and the bottom is smooth. The graphite powder will make the bottom black if you go this route.
6.) Attach your chine battens flush with the bottom of the boat - be sure to bed it well with some 5200 to ensure a tight seal - remember you want this "death paste" in there bc your nails that attach the batten will pass through your glass wrap... so no water can be allowed to get in there.
7.) Fill the gap between the hard edged batten and the bottom of the boat where you rounded the edge with a fillet of some sort. I used system 3 Easy Fillet - but you can make your own with wood flour and epoxy.
8.) Sand down any protruding fillet from this area to make a flush sharp angle on the chine edge.
9.) I then did one more flow coat over the entire bottom and the bottom edge of the chine batten.
