My last discovery. I was repairing some stress crack at the bottom when one of them unveil some thing more important.
What was under the gelcoat was a thick layer of bondo over the foam. No more fiberglass outerskin. The foam is full of water. At some place the inside layer of fiberglass is cracked. I groung the gelcoat until I found fiberglass all around the area.
Go in my personel album, you can see the picture better.
http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=106232
From there, what would you do to repair that mess.
Thank you,
Grind away, with a really shallow angle, till you have dry solid hull all round. Clear out any saturated foam and/or de-laminated glass. Lay in a layer of glass cloth over the whole grind out with resin pigmented to your finish color. Shape with a Surform when the resin is not quite cured. Sand when cured. Keep applying glass in smaller patches.
Shape and sand as you go. The pigmented resin will make the gel coat finish layers easier to blend. I wouldn't hassel with trying to lay in new foam. She's never going to be show perfect.These guys were good for supplies and info.
This is just my take. I'm sure there are lots of other opinions. Good luck, don't forget the gloves, mask, and Tyveck
suit. GH
Andre, after looking at your album, with regards to the damage on top of the hull, I would try to add some layers on the inside of the hull.
That will give you some backing & provide strength, then lay up only 2 layers on the top. This will finish up just below the level of the original gel cote, allowing you to add a layer of gelcote & sand flush with the original finish...
If the foam is intact, just wet from leakage, I would dry it out completely, then leave most of it in place. Cut a slit from end to end, that will allow you to "insert" a patch into the hull, then pull it up against the foam.
Don't worry if you lose some foam, or need to cut some away, just fill the large divot with resin/filler.
If you want light but strong, get a couple layers inside the hull, then mix up some resin,along with one of the West System fillers,(403 microfibres, avoid colloidal silica- to hard to sand).
Here is a ton of good information, it's West System, but I've used the fillers with other brand epoxy.
http://www.westsystem.com/ss/the-105-system/
This is how I got a few layers inside the hull of my 5.7 It's not a foam cored hull, but the idea is the same.
You could use the same idea to get a layer or two inside the trunk, & fix that hole...if you can't reach it via a hatch. For that fix, if you lay the hull on its side, gravity will help, & the resin will run outwards, rather than just drip down the inside. Be sure to wipe off any that ends up where your boards go, easier than trying to grind it later. Once you have some backing it is easy to flip the hull over & slap a bit of resin/cut fibres into the divot, pull it smooth with a spatula.
http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=77105
I raised the mast yesterday on that 6.0XL that you looked at when you bought your boat. The integral gin pole & electric winch on that custom trailer made it a breeze, I did it solo. Hardest part was carrying mast from backyard. Hope to have it in the water next week, been busy getting rid of some real estate, & it's been a slow spring.
Edited by Edchris177 on May 11, 2014 - 08:39 PM.
E C Hilliard
Nacra 5.7
Bombardier Invitation
One other small thing. When you place the photos in a post, don't right click on the thumbnail in the post, then use it as "image".
I'm not sure of the details of how the thumbs get sized down, but the end result is a photo that remains tiny. Select the photo you want to attach to the post, & click it to expand, then right click the larger version & copy that image.
Now when clicked on in the post, it will expand into the full size.
E C Hilliard
Nacra 5.7
Bombardier Invitation
Edchris177 wrote: One other small thing. When you place the photos in a post, don't right click on the thumbnail in the post, then use it as "image".
I'm not sure of the details of how the thumbs get sized down, but the end result is a photo that remains tiny. Select the photo you want to attach to the post, & click it to expand, then right click the larger version & copy that image.
Now when clicked on in the post, it will expand into the full size.
Thanks Ed, common mistake. I've fixed the two images in the first post.
____________
Damon Linkous
Thanks Damon and Ed.
I have taken a day off to work on it since it's sunny today and they don't forecast too much sun in the following days.
Until now I have removed the outer skin enlarging the area until I found dry foam always glued to the inner skin and removed all the wet and unlaminated foam. I can touch the inner skin. It is slit at some place so I removed more material until about 2 inches past the slit line. I will clean that area and add a couple layer of glass then I will put back divinicell foam and the outer skin.
I woulkd have liked being able to remove the panels on the top of the hull but imossible to enter a thin blade between the panel and the hull to separate them.
The repair is done now. Hulls have been re-gelcoated. Will post pictures later.