DaySailer.org Forum

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!!

If you have a crack that lets water in, then it goes through the laminate. Your challenge (task) is to seal the crack as well as to connect the two halves of the laminate so that you restore strength. Esp, if crack is a few inches long.

Generally, for cracks, you'd want to open them up, by grinding them in a V shape. That's the way you can be sure that whatever material you are using will actually go in (and it helps in drying). If the crack flexes when you have the boat on its side and you load the CB, then you definitely want to think about also restoring strength.

There are 2 basic ways. Add glass+epoxy from the inside. Add glass+epoxy from the outside. Depends on what's easier. For outside, you do need to grind away material until you have a wide, shallow V (for a crack that's in a flat portion of the hull, if it's on the CB trunk corner, adjust geometry).

You fill that V with layers of fiberglass cloth that you wet out in epoxy, making narrower patches as you go out towards the original surface.

Material of choice: fiberglass cloth (not mat) + any good laminating epoxy (SystemThree SilverTip, West System, Mas epoxy, but not the hardware store brand, nor the repair pastes like JB Weld or Marine Tex - those are for tiny dings that don't get stressed).

Measure and mix according to instructions (very precisely) and then apply as described. Should result in a watertight and strong hull.

Sand to taste (add a bit of paint as epoxy likes being protected from UV). That's it.

Yours is a DSII - you will find that some water can also get in via the places where the control lines for the CB come in, so your hull might not stay dry when you start sailing, but it should not leak by just sitting in the water.

To check if you have a leak at the forward end of the CB trunk, with the boat on the trailer put some water in the hull using a hose thru the inspection ports. If it is actually leaking in there, it will come out there as well.

There are several othere places on the DSII that will cause leaks. The inspection ports in the cockpit can leak water into the bilge if the gaskets are bad. My DSII would get water in the bilge sitting on the trailer due to rainstorms. I put grease on the gaskets and threads that have allow them to stop leaking. There is a post on the forum of where to get a replacement port that will fit the existing port screw pattern.

Another place that Greenlake mentioned is where the uphaul line for the centerboard goes thru the front of the CB trunk. Since on the DSII there are upper and lower sections of the CB trunk, the gap between them can cause water into the bilge. While under sail the hole for the uphaul line will squirt water thru there. The faster you go, the more water will come thru. I have seen water shoot 18" out of that point on my boat. Most of this water will get in the cuddy cabin and then drain thru the holes in the bulkhead and into the cockpit. There are several posts on fixing this area.

I have also heard of water getting in thru the icebox in some boats. Bad washers on the centerboard bolt can also be a source of water in the bilge. My boat has some weird goop covering the bolt that although water tight, also makes it difficult to replace the bolt. Check your hull/deck joint as well. I'm fortunate on my boat as I have few leaks that drain into the bilge.

John