hello all!
i'm brand new to this forum...just got a 1971 daysailer II in very decent shape for a 43 year old boat, just a few dings and dangs and some areas that i'm trying to address before i take her out for her maiden voyage. i drained the bilge via the bilge plug in the transom, and plan to stuff pool noodles through the inspection ports to boost buoyancy. a good amount of water drained out of the bilge, which led me to inspect the below waterline parts of the hull more carefully. upon doing do, i discovered a crack at the bow (fore) end of the centerboard slot, which has me concerned that it will take on water in the bilge, and maybe that's how all the water got in there to begin with. has anyone else encountered a problem like this? i obviously can't determine what created the crack, whether it was lateral pressure on the centerboard (but i'm pretty sure centerboards are designed to withstand significant lateral pressure) or whether the boat was beached and slammed a rock, etc. whatever the case, i'm in the market for some kind of repair compound/epoxy that will seal it up and strengthen the area so i won't have to worry about leaks in the hull. definitely not too worried about looks or drag factor as i'm not racing, just want a nice solid, dry (waterproof) hull. i'm basically curious about a few different products...travaco gluvit epoxy, pc products 2 part marine grade epoxy, j-b weld underwater epoxy putty, or marine tex mighty repair kit. or if there are any other products not listed that have worked for any of you, i'm all ears. the area will likely be damp/moist upon application as it's location is difficult to get completely dry. thanks for all your help, and for having such a great website!!