DaySailer.org Forum

Hi,
It's been a long time since my last post, its been a busy winter with school, work and the DS. The restoration is coming along slowly and I am at the point where I need to repair the damage to the cuddy top. Some time in the past the boat was knocked over bending the mast slightly (which has been fixed without any apparent re-stressing of the aluminum) and taking a nice chunk out of the cuddy top. A previous owner attempted to repair the damage using Marine-Tex but much of the Marine-Tex still hasn't cured, some 20 years later.
Below are pictures of the damage.

[thumb=591] [thumb=592]

I was thinking of building a wooden box, open on both ends, and using latex sheeting 0.01" or 0.005" thick on the bottom. The latex sheeting that I found rather quickly on amazon has a 750% elongation (non-linear I hope) with a tensile strength of 4,000 PSI. Then using less then a gallon of quick set plaster or Permastone into the "box" it should mold rather nicely. -And with no damage to the donor boat- My primary concern.

[thumb=593]

Anyone think this will work? I just ordered four sheets of latex so I will be testing this hypothesis once the sheets arrive.

If you can help my wife and I would gladly buy dinner (or beer) for your troubles. I live in Cherry Hill, NJ will travel to the shore or down to NE & Upper Eastern Shore of Maryland, eastern PA, ect. Would like to try and keep travel time to less then 2 hours (putting NYC and Washington DC within reach).

I'd love to sail the boat this year!

Thanks,
Marc

Marc, Please keep in mind you should retain as much of the original size and shape of the cuddy opening as possible. Also, one thing that worked well on a boat I had in the past was after the repair is done, reinforce the entire area with a piece of wood or aluminum sheet metal under the cuddy through bolted to the top with center hole. It also becomes a convenient place for placing fittings under the cuddy. Good luck.

Bob,
Thanks for the suggestion. I have no intention of enlarging the opening, I want the finished result to be identical to the original mast opening. As I don't want to place this boat outside the realm of class legal. I just hope the latex will give enough that when I try and make the mold it "dips" into the mast opening so I can have an identical copy.

I have the boat on a rotisserie so installing the new piece shouldn't be that difficult. I will post more pictures soon.

Thanks.
Marc

Marc,
Good luck with your project - if you get no nearer responses you'd be welcome to get your casts off my late 70's (I think) DSII located, at the moment, in a garage in Northwestern Connecticut.
Though your latex ended open box may work well for catching the desired shape off the top of your target boat with loose plaster or Permastone (whatever that is), you may need to think in terms of plaster bandage, or even the stuff they use to thermoform waterproof casts from to catch the shape of the underside. Not all of us have conveniently set up rotisseries so we can so easily swing our DS's bottom side up.
Fair winds and following seas.
Felix

Cherry Hill ? Here's a free DS in Philly !!

http://forum.daysailer.org/forum/viewtopi ... =2339#8411

Marc. I lived in Moorestown and just moved a year ago or so.
I'm currently working on a DS2 ( mostly clean up and a few little problems)
My Brother has a Capri 14 and were planning on doing some sailing this summer.
One of the places we are going is Barnaget/ great bay area.
From your area, get on rt 72 to rt 9 south. go about a mile and turn on Cedar Run Dock road. It takes you to a free ramp right on the bay. You can sail away and not have to paddle out any creeks etc.
We would be more than happy to have another boat out there when we go.
so If your interested let me know