Help! Fiberglass fix along hull-deck joint of 16' Rebel sailboat

[evmaperry]

Hi all thanks for checking out my post. I'm considering fixing a 16' Rebel sailboat that took some serious damage along the deck-hull joint some time ago. I have some experience with fiberglass, but this would be the biggest project I've tackled. My questions are as follows:

1. Is this project a lost cause?

2. What is the best way to tackle the fiberglass? Should I approach the hull and deck components separately and then connect them? My thought is to divide and conquer: make a mold (likely out of some type of foam to run the length of the side) to mimic the curvature of the hull near the joint (see picture 1), and then make a fiberglass part with that mold. I would then do the same with the deck component, and after connecting both parts to the hull and deck respectively, I'd bondo or glass them together to fuse the joint. Then the whole boat would then get a fresh gel coat.

3. Picture 2 shows the extent to which the deck is cracked near the joint. Would I need to cut back the deck beyond the cracks to ensure a rigid structure or can I just cut along the side so as to get a clean edge? What do I sacrifice by cutting a corner here?

4. What type of fiberglass fabric should I use at which stages of the project?

My concern is that the fiberglass parts will not be strongly connected to either the deck or hull. Overall, it feels like there would be too much patchwork to ensure a solid structure -- although maybe this would be remedied by several layers of glass once the parts are fixed to the body but before they are connected.

Pictures 3 and 4 attempt to show the underside of the joint where the two components are joined together; the deck overlaps the hull by a few inches and they are bonded along the split line.

Again, thanks for checking in. Any input is much appreciated.

Evan

 

[fhhuber]

unfortunately... no pics show. just broken link symbols.

Without pictures I can't give a good opinion on that project.

You can repair anything given time and materials... The question is if it is worth the investment.

 

[evmaperry]

Alright let's try this:

 

[evmaperry]

Did that work?

 

[Woodonglass]

Yeah, pics are showing now. Welcome to iBoats. No Worries!! Pretty basic Glass repairs IMHO!!! Since you have some former fiberglassing experience this should be a No Brainer for you. From the pics you posted, I'm not really seeing any hull damage. Only damage to the Deck Lip and Deck. Is this correct??

Based on what I can see, Here's how I would proceed and the materials I'd use. There appears to be significant spider web cracking to the deck which indicates the glass under the gelcoat may or may not be fractured. You'll need to grind or sand off the gelcoat in those areas to investigate the underlying glass to see if the glass is OK. You'll then want to cut away all fractured and damaged glass so that you have a good clean solid structure to build from. Once you have that done you'll place the deck back on the boat and fit it to the hull and then create a foam "Form" that closely fits the curvature of the hull. I'd recommend using Vinylester Resin but it will eat foam so you'll need to wrap the foam form in Plastic Packing tape to protect it from the resin. You'll also use 1708 Fabric to effect the repair. You'll grind the Good Glass down (Feathered to a razor sharp edge about 5" wedge) and then lay the 1708 glass down on the feathered edge and over the foam form to form the lip and the new deck area. I'll try to make some drawings for you so show you what I'm referencing. It may sound complicated but it really isn't and this can all be done in about 2 days time. Possibly one day, if you had all your materials on hand and a helper.

 

[evmaperry]

Great thanks! I will get to work on assembling materials and checking the underlying glass. I also appreciate the vote of confidence!

To get one thing straight, are you suggesting that I detach the whole deck from the hull?

Also, could I use a releasing agent instead of plastic packing tape to surround the foam? Although I suppose the tape is much cheaper and the underside won't be visible anyway... just worried about the smoothness of the tape, but I suppose it's sandable anyway.

 

[Woodonglass]

Smoothness is NOT an issue. It's just to keep the resin from eating the foam. You WON'T be worrying about the underside anyway. You don't have access to the back side of the hull do you?? No I'm not suggesting removing anything. I meant place the deck on the hull meaning make sure it's situated where it needs to be. Here's my bad attempt at drawing what I'm talking about. Once everything is cut away to good fresh glass and you've beveled/feathered the edges back about 3-5 inches. make a form out of the blue or pink slab foam as shown and the use deck screws screwed threw the deck and sides of the hull to hold it in place. You can then lay the resin and glass over the foam 3-4 layers should do the trick. Use clear packing tape over the edge and apply paste wax to it so the glass will release. If you're careful you can create a nice crisp edge. Babysit the resin and right when it starts to KICK use a putty knife to smooth the edge. I hope this makes sense

 

[evmaperry]

Great thanks for the drawing. Crystal clear now.