Winter Repairs, Part 1

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Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby UCanoe_2 » Wed Jan 02, 2013 2:48 pm

Happy New Year everybody,

I had multiple mishaps on the last sailing trip of the fall in my ’64 DS I. The outboard motor quit running, the centerboard got stuck halfway down, there was a crack in the CB case, and the mast broke while careening the boat to inspect the CB problem. Yes, all these things went wrong in only one weekend! Now it is winter and time to work on repairs, and I would welcome your advice.

The first thing I plan to work on is the cracked CB case. I will have to remove the CB so it does not become permanently epoxied in place. Instead of careening the boat in the snow, here’s my plan:

Back the trailer into the garage carefully without hitting anything. Secure 2 ratchet straps around the boat amidships to retain the CB. Remove the CB lever and pivot pin assembly.

Then jack and block the boat until it is clear of the trailer, and roll the trailer out from under the boat. With the trailer removed, I can release the ratchet straps and lower the CB to the floor, keeping it in a horizontal position. The CB is about 14” wide, so there should be plenty of clearance with the boat 18” or so above the floor. Once the CB is out, lower the boat and support it to work safely and conveniently inside.

What's the best way to open up the crack in the case to patch the fiberglass? One of the local hardware stores has a neat little Makita angle grinder for only $60. Please tell me I get to buy another tool!

Is there anything erroneous or unanticipated here? Thanks for your words of wisdom. We can talk about further repair steps in future posts. Pictures will follow soon.
"George Washington as a boy was ignorant of the commonest accomplishments of youth. He could not even lie."
-- Mark Twain
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby GreenLake » Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:39 pm

I'm totally amazed you were able to break a mast trying to careen your boat, but that's another issue.

Your plan for getting at your CB sounds plausible. I normally ground launch onto a carpet, but with CB sticking out, that may not be perfect. It's relatively simple to careen a ground launched boat with three people and a bit of support for the edge to rest on (doubled carpet). So if your CB isn't actually sticking out the bottom, that would work also.

It can be easier to work on the boat with the CB trunk facing sideways, instead of up.

Various tools will work to open the crack. I've used orbital sanders, belt sanders, files etc. Depends on the location (and low grit for sanders).

A nice shallow (1:12) bevel around your crack is what you want. You may still want to add an extra layer as a patch on the cockpit side of the trunk to make sure you're adding some strength to what looks like a weak spot.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby PassingWind » Thu Jan 03, 2013 12:00 am

I use a makita disc sander to prep the fiberglass

http://www.mytoolstore.com/makita/gv5000.jpg
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby jdoorly » Thu Jan 03, 2013 2:48 am

I broke my mast when careening too. 'cept that it broke at the (Dwyer) tabernacle when a fore stay swage (from a PO, it was corroded) let go.

UCanoe_2, sorry to hear of your multiple misfortunes. Your plan sounds fine but I would caution you with the potential that when you block up the boat that if you put different pressures on the boat than the trailer does you may fix the centerboard trunk in a different position while fiberglassing and end up with it breaking again when the boat re-assumes its 'trailer' position. This depends on whether its a simple crack in the middle of a surface or if its on an edge or three dimensional. If the latter, I would suggest trying to hang the boat from multiple overhead straps, and/or put it back on the trailer to fiberglass. Best of luck, either way!
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby GreenLake » Thu Jan 03, 2013 3:11 am

Making sure that the edges of your crack are aligned, and that the crack isn't gaping wider or being squeezed shut should go a long way toward making sure you are not fixing the CB in a warped state. That may require some additional support for the area to be repaired - with details depending on the situation and configuration. A well executed repair with epoxy and glass should be strong enough to not crack, even if it's stressed. Nevertheless, it might be useful to apply an extra layer of glass extending beyond the actual damaged area, in an attempt to provide some extra strength to the CB. Some people even went so far as to add foam strips to beef up the stiffness of the CB trunk walls. So there's room for elaboration.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby UCanoe_2 » Fri Jan 04, 2013 8:13 pm

Thanks to everyone for your helpful responses! The story of the broken mast is a long one that is best reserved for a future “Repair and Improvement” thread…

Green Lake, I considered a ground launch but there would be some difficulties involved. There is snow on the ground that would make the process uncomfortable and more difficult. It’s too cold outside for epoxy work, and the boat would have to go back on the trailer anyway to get into the warm garage. There will be a short period of mild weather this weekend, so I’d best move her inside before it snows again. (I should not complain about winter to you guys who live in the North!)

The flopping centerboard is now supported with a rachet strap so the boat can move on and off the trailer.

Remember also that the mast is gone, so the usual leverage for careening is missing. I briefly had creative thoughts about some kind of operation involving the tractor and front end loader, but should listen to the little voice telling me that is not a good idea….

It sounds like a disc sander or random orbital sander would be preferred tools for opening the crack, and the angle grinder might be too aggressive. The RO sander would also be useful for finishing work, and most of them have good dust collection which is a huge advantage.

Jay, the crack is on the port side of the CB trunk about 2" above the bottom of the boat, just below the top of the DS I floor boards. It is about 8" long.

Your point about maintaining the hull shape is a good one. The garage door will not shut with the trailer in place. The boat has to come off in order to have a heated work area. Possibly there is a way to remove the trailer tongue and allow the door to close?

I thought I could support the boat on the floor with cradles made from scrap lumber and Styrofoam. The hull shape we want to maintain is the in-the-water or as-designed shape, which could be different from the on-the-trailer shape. Maybe it would be a good idea to put something inside the CB trunk to keep it from distorting, say some plywood wrapped in polyethylene?

Supporting the boat on straps is worth considering. They might allow the boat to be rotated so I could work with the repair in a horizontal position. However, there are obstacles to overcome. The interior of the garage is finished which rules out hanging the straps from bolts passing through a joist. I would be limited to using screw eyes, which might not support a 600 lb. boat safely. There are also garage door tracks that would get in the way.

Thanks for your ideas, and please critique some more.
"George Washington as a boy was ignorant of the commonest accomplishments of youth. He could not even lie."
-- Mark Twain
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby jdoorly » Fri Jan 04, 2013 10:20 pm

UCanoe_2, I made a 7ft extension for my trailer by cutting off the receiver end, mounting a new smaller (same ball) receiver on the extention, and since the extention was 2.5x2.5" section if fit inside the trailer's 3x3" square tube frame. Now the trailer is the same as it was except if I want I can pull the pin, pull out the extension, and replace the pin. So you might be able to perform this modification and then your trailer might fit the garage without the extension/receiver. Is it feasible? How much do you have to circumsize?

Here's the invoice:

Steel Square Tube 2-1/2 x T25025012596 1 48.99 Cut Length = 96.000''
2-1/2 x 1/8 (Grade A500) Cut Type = Standard
Subtotal 48.99
Shipping 18.87
Tax 0.00
Total 67.86

Here's the website:

http://www.allmetalsinc.com/


Waddya think?
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby GreenLake » Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:17 pm

I've suspended my DS from screw eyes in a finished ceiling (screwed into the joists). Not for a long time, but while loading on/off the trailer and to turn it sideways single-handed. It can be done, but I am not sure what the real risk of failure is. It takes three guys to turn a boat upside down w/o mast as leverage. (One is mainly needed for placing supports etc.).

Depending on the nature/location of the crack, it might be possible to screw some battens to the CB trunk wall to keep the repair aligned (or fill the trunk with foam/boards from the inside for the same purpose). Most likely that would be enough to maintain the shape. Or you might find that the CB trunk wall isn't stressed very much (no gaping/ no twisting) when the boat is on blocks and then you don't need to worry.

It's difficult to advise from a distance.

Ground launching can be done inside a garage as well, but the trailer will have to exit through the door and then snow might indeed be a factor.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby UCanoe_2 » Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:28 pm

It was a pleasant surprise to find that the Daysailer on trailer fit into the garage with inches to spare.
1460
Note the redneck wheel chocks.
1463
The crack in the CB trunk is not as bad as it first appeared. It is <2" long, shown at the point of the knife blade in this photo. The crack is at the edge of the plate glassed into the port side of the trunk as a bearing for the CB shaft. It looked worse that it really is because of the poorly finished glass job.
1462
I think the way to repair this is to grind out the crack with a Dremel and fill the crack with thickened epoxy. Then I will sand down the rough area and add several layers of glass to reinforce everything.
"George Washington as a boy was ignorant of the commonest accomplishments of youth. He could not even lie."
-- Mark Twain
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby PassingWind » Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:19 pm

Put cabosil in the epoxy if you are not using any cloth..
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby jdoorly » Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:35 pm

Are you sure that's a crack, i.e. it has depth, and it's not just an errant piece of cloth? It sure doesn't look like it's worth much worry or effort to fix. If it is a crack have you got any idea how it happened?
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby GreenLake » Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:49 am

What @jdoorly says.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby UCanoe_2 » Fri Jan 11, 2013 1:30 pm

That's food for thought, guys. You can see the tip of the knife blade goes into the suspected crack a short distance, but there's no way to tell if the hole is any deeper. A little exploratory surgery with the Dremel and some dental probes couldn't hurt.

The boat has a bad case of "centerboard flop." Water leaks into the boat from somewhere, and it is worse when there is lots of motorboat chop and no wind, causing the board to flop a lot. I don't think the leak is from the centerboard shaft gasket. The gasket is in good shape, and the retaining screws for the CB handle are so tight it is difficult to raise and lower the board.

My theory is that the CB flop plus running hard aground has stressed the side of the CB trunk and caused a crack. I would like it very much if I am wrong. In any case the board needs to come out for repairs.
"George Washington as a boy was ignorant of the commonest accomplishments of youth. He could not even lie."
-- Mark Twain
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby GreenLake » Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:06 pm

The photo really is compatible with a bit of laminate that lifted off before curing. Possibly from some PO's repair.

Now, if there was something cracked under the repair, it's just possible that there's a hidden crack through which water can travel, but I really would suspect the main CB gasket. They will appear to be tight when "at rest", even in the water, and can still leak. Look in my personal gallery for a photo of a CB gasket that looked "not too bad" before I took it out. (Go magnify the gasket - as I said, it looked not that bad when installed, but on closer view you can see how eroded it was).

1042

Some PO had drilled and tapped into the CB pin from the reverse and drilled a hole for another bolt from the opposite side. That really works. (If you have the skills or can get it done, I recommend it as an upgrade).
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Re: Winter Repairs, Part 1

Postby jdoorly » Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:52 pm

I've found with joints of the CB pivot type that after replacing the neoprene washers that you only tighten the nut until water stops leaking in there. Next time it starts leaking again only tighten slightly until the leak stops. To tighten further breaks the seal and causes leaks that can't be fixed with further tightening. Since most people don't know how to maintain this type of joint most people (only previous owners, of course) gets leaks there.

Since the alleged crack appears to be below water line then inspection while in the water should reveal a leak or not. Has the previous owner removed the thwarts? or does the centerboard trunk have any side to side movement? I think if there was some loss of trunk integrity it might crack right where we are looking, but would expect it to be covering a much longer part of the trunk length. Besides, there appears to be a squarish fiberglass patch just above it but why someone would 'open' that area, in a DS1, and then close it back up I don't know.
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