Hull seam repair

[wayne kevin]

Recently I was in a regatta and was broadsided directly by another boat. The result was that my daysailer 1 received a couple of cracks midship on the rail--around five inches apart--under the rubber rub rail. Upon investigation, I discovered the real damage, which besides the two small cracks, was a separation between the deck and the hull between the two small cracks. My daysailer is in the 100s and old( and I'm hoping sturdy). The side of the hull from the inside is covered by a fiberglass wall (for flotation?), but I can probably cut to get to the inside of the hull seam. Is this repair hard; I'm pretty good with fiberglass. My hull is very stiff, and I'm also wondering if the damage will impact overall performance. There's no other damage visible, and I'm hoping I can repair the impact site and worry about my inadequacies and not the boat's.

[K.C. Walker]

If you're good with fiberglass, as you say, I don't see a problem repairing this. That is, other than digging to the bottom of the problem. If it's possible to see the inside of the damage area you will be much more confident that the repairs done correctly. Your description makes it sound like local damage that could be repaired fully.

Your description of the damage is good but it is still hard to visualize fully. If you could snap some pictures, with a close-up of the damage, then pull back and give a little wider view of that area. Also, a shot of the inside area that you need to get through to see the damage would help us all visualize your problem.

KC

[wayne kevin]

Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it.

I can't take a picture, because I'm not near the boat now. But I do have an inspection panel on the siding above the bench seat, which gives me a clear view at the inside of the hull directly where the hit occurred. There's a little evidence of a vertical line where the other boat's bow hit--nothing torn, just a very slight discoloration in an otherwise smooth section of glassed cloth--and of course, above that, where the hull-deck seam connects to the railing deck, the two small (half-inch) tears that start at the seam and go down on the hull on each side of that slight discoloration.

But I can get through the port to the inside of the hull and hull seam. In fact, the hull was slightly dented and I pushed it out so that now the side of my hull from the outside looks straight and clean, except for those two small fractures which came from the bow of the other boat. So I figure I can perhaps clamp and glass the seam, then even put a bit of cloth over the discoloration.

What about the stiffness of the hull? It seems the blow was absorbed where the damage occurred.

Any hints regarding fiberglassing the seam would help.

Thanks again!

[K.C. Walker]

Wayne,

Okay, how big an area are we talking about? You say small cracks so does that mean 2 inches or 6 inches? How far apart are they? If it's how I have visualize it which is 4 or 5 inch cracks on the outside extending down from the rail. I also have envisioned that you got rammed below the deck level. From the sounds of it your damage is local and should not affect the rest of the boat.

If I have envisioned it correctly I would be repairing it mostly from the inside. I would use thickened epoxy and fiberglass cloth. A great repair manual which is available online you can find here. http://www.westsystem.com/ss/assets/How ... enance.pdf There are also some West System videos that can be viewed from the Jamestown Distributors website. If you can get the structural repairs done from the inside and the outside looks straight, then the cracks on the outside would be minor cosmetic work. If you can't get a good structural repair from the inside (basically sistering the hull in that area) you will need to grind away the cracks from the outside and re-laminated, which makes the cosmetic work more involved.

Good luck!

KC