Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

thrillhouse700

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Aug 5, 2009
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I posted this in my restore thread but I don't think anyone is really following it. Plus I figured I might get more help on a tri-hull problem if its geared towards tri-hull restorererers

I have these valleys on the sides of the hull that trap water underneath the deck. When we removed the first two sections of deck we found very old water in there. So far, there is 2 valleys on each side that are staggered.

Valleys in the rear of the boat.
Rearsectionofdeckcutoutmarked.jpg


Valley in middle of boat
Sidevalleymarked.jpg


Valley in middle of boat showing the gap under the deck.
Sidevalley2marked.jpg


So I had a couple ideas, first idea I believe was redfury's (if thats wrong then sorry who ever I heard it from), glass in some foam into those valleys.

My problem with this is that if you don't get the foam and glassing perfectly even then it leaves places for water to sit stagnant if it does get in.

Second idea was to slightly lift the deck maybe 1/4" and then build in some sort of drainage. Problem with this idea is that the front bow seats sit on top of the front portion of the deck. This extra 1/4" may throw off the front bow seats /cap.

Last idea was to use pink sheet foam and carve a form as the shape of that valley then glass it in. Problem with this is there is no way in hell I would be able to duplicate that valley with the foam so this would leave air pockets.

So I am kind of stumped here. Any ideas?
 
Last edited:

Bob_VT

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

Resize the photos please to 640 x 480

Fill the spots with foam and shape the drainage ....... remember the boat rocks and rides around when under power.
 

thrillhouse700

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

Kind new to this photobucket thing, do I have to resize then repost? Are they too big?

Anyways, I don't know where to shape any drain, They dont have any drainage the deck sits directly on top. Thanks for the reply!
 

Rickairmedic

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

Thrill you can resize them on photo bucket usually 75% works out good . Then just edit your post and switch out the current images for the new smaller ones.


Rick
 

Bob_VT

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

select the 640 x 480 size on photobucket
 

tallcanadian

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

Hey Thrill, good to see another tri hull owner here. I didn't have that problem with mine because mine boat had side boxes built into it and I replaced them when I did my build. The side boxes in the bilge area are filled with foam and the ones in the main area of the boat, on top of the deck, I use for storage and paddles and the like. And they don't take up that much room. These too are filled with foam. Follow my links and see for yourself. If you want to see more pics let me know.
 

redfury

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Jul 16, 2006
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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

Thrill, I was thinking your hull had more of a void along the sides, similar to mine...
100_2080.jpg

The areas I marked are the low points on the side of my hull...well, actually it's low all the way from the front to the back, but I tried to represent the 3D shape of the areas that could use something to avoid water collection.
 

thrillhouse700

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

tall canadian: I had those boxes also but we ripped them out when we pulled the deck. The deck sits underneath those boxes on mine.

Red: Yours looks pretty close to mine, the deck has a bow to it and is lower on the edges, but I have the same 4 voids on mine.
 

singinout

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May 20, 2009
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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

Sorry can't help here...my boat didn't have anything like that. The glass on my hull came together and made a fairly square corner so my new deck fit right in. Gud luck!
 

reelfishin

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

I had a Duo that had a similar shape hull, the original floor was actually curved at the side edges forming two outer gutters for drainage but water also got in there and sat. When I redid the floor, raised the height of the stringers a bit, then beveled and filled the outer areas a bit to promote drainage. With the boat on plane, any water then in that area could drain rearward and to the bilge. The impression I had was that water had gotten in there over the years, and had frozen and expanded over the winter several times lifting the deck, breaking the seal to the hull even worse. The original floor sealed that outer area in forming it's own sealed cavity.
 

4JawChuck

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

I don't know if I would fill with another material that can get waterlogged and then glass it in, why not install some garboard plugs (the screw in kind) into the corners and pull them when its stored? Very easy to do and little cost, I actually plan on doing this on my sponsoned Tuffy as it has a similar hull shape except my "vees" are 4 inches deep and are filled with foam.

I am sure when I rip it apart there will be water in there and soaked foam.
 

thrillhouse700

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

Yeah that's one of the things i was afraid of, whatever I put in there getting water logged.
 

redfury

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

Well, there's always marine body filler. I bet with enough cabosil you could lighten it up enough and not have to worry about rot or holding water. I couldn't do mine because it would cost me a fortune in filler.
 

thrillhouse700

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

what about filler with bits of foam in it? would stay water proof and be light and cheaper?
 

tlovelandka

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

Hey Thrill,

You and I are in the same boat... (it's a bad pun, I know)

I think the garboard plugs are pretty solid idea, then again if the budget allows for it I'm planning on mixing up some PB and using that to fill the gap. The valleys in my hull aren't nearly as distinct as yours are though... Let us know what you decide to do.

-TLove
 

thrillhouse700

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing, PB. But at 120 bux per 5 gal bucket of resin I'm wondering if there is a better, lighter, cheaper way. I will probably experiment with something this weekend.
 

tlovelandka

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

It does get pricey... Be sure and keep us posted on what you come up with

-TLove
 

thrillhouse700

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Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

Where would you put the garboard plugs? On the bottom of the boat?
 

thrillhouse700

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Aug 5, 2009
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778
Re: Tri-hull owners I need help/ideas.

Ahh, that wont work for me then because the voids are staggered and the forward one doesn't run all the way to the stern.
 
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