Fiberglass dinghy restoration, some advice please.

[callsign222]

I have what is probably one of the original Beverly dinghies, designed by Sidney Herreshoff for the Beverly Yacht Club in MA.

It's 11.5', weighs somewhere between 180-200 and has most docile and enjoyable sailing and rowing properties. I've spent a lot of youth in this boat, and for the past several years it has sat upside down and outside.

I have all the original hardware, which I will spruce up, but I will have to make a new centerboard. Also, the thwarts will need to be replaced as well.

Now, the rub is that I don't know anything about fiberglass repair/refurbishing. I would like to clean it up and make it nice again. The fiberglass is spider webbed and cracked pretty good, and I'm wondering if it's possible (most likely), and what kind of work is it going to take? The hull is sound, no soft spots, it's just the surface. I'm assuming a good buffing, filling the cracks, some sanding, buffing, and a new paint job, but I really don't know. I have a book on the way about basic plastic boat maintenance. I am on a pretty tight budget this winter, so if in your opinion this is going to take a lot of money and time, I will postpone it for a year or so.

Please see my album here for all the pictures.







This picture is to make it legit. See? Wood spars!



Thanks!

[Thorne]

I'll guess you'll want to wait, save your sheckles and do more learning about fiberglass and gelcoat repairs.

I **think** you've got a badly cracked / aged gelcoat surface there, and will need to sand and recoat. I've never done full gelcoat coating, just minor repairs, but gelcoat is a polyester resin -- not the standard epoxy resin used for the actual hull construction. From many posts here, it seems that while gelcoat will stick to epoxy to a certain degree, it doesn't stick to a lot of other materials, which is why it's use as a coating over wood was discontinued decades ago when real epoxy resin became more affordable.

For a quick 'n dirty fix (not recommended) you could try sanding & cleaning, then a high-build primer, then paint. Or even marine bondo to repair the surface cracks - but that is not usually recommended.

[Ian McColgin]

I've repaired a couple of dinks and a kayak in this sort of tough shape. I am not good enough to handle gelcoat or even AwlGrip. So I start with a thin layer of WEST - use a plastic spatula to really spread it filling the cracks but leaving the barest smeal on the principle surface. Then fine sand and paint with an epoxy topside paint. Or even regular topside paint. I'll look super.

[David G]

Ian's prescription is what first occurred to me as well. But, then again, I know very little about gel-coat repair & restoration, and a fair bit about epoxy and paint. So it's only natural that I'd lean toward the tools I know.

However... from what little I do know... I still have the impression that repairing the gelcoat on a boat like yours is a tricky, touchy, technical, skill. Further, that it's quite difficult to get it to have the same level of finish that one gets from the original construction - where gelcoat is sprayed into a mold before adding the glass & polyester resin. So... it you are planning to do the work yourself, I suspect Ian's method will be more accessible for you.

[rbgarr]

Love those dinghies. Cape Cod Shipbuilding had no advice other than that they'd be happy to do the work for you? They still build them: http://www.capecodshipbuilding.com/s...erlydinghy.htm

[Todd Bradshaw]

First of all, the entire boat is built with polyester resin - both the gelcoat (polyester resin mixed with pigment and fillers) and the plain resin saturating the laminations of fiberglass cloth and mat underneath it. For widespread areas of old cracked gelcoat, there really isn't any particularly good way to fix the hull just by "crack-filling". Each crack would need to be opened up with something like a small, cone-shaped grinder bit on a Dremel tool to make a trench and then they could be filled with new gelcoat or a filler mixture. This is OK if you only have a couple of cracks to patch, but not worth the hassle when you have a whole boat to do. It's usually less work to grind (sand) the gelcoat off and re-coat the hull - either with fresh polyester gelcoat, polyester resin and paint or with an epoxy resin mixture, also followed by paint. It's a lot of work, but not all that difficult.

Unfortunately, you can't re-coat or paint over cracks and wind up with what would be considered a sound, lasting repair, even if you can get the new coating to bridge the cracks. They'll probably open back up. Plus, with all that filler in it, gelcoat isn't always particularly well attached to the hull and old gelcoat tends to flake off, taking whatever you happened to apply over it with it. So the first big job is to get out the disk sander or a good random orbit sander, arm it with 60-80 grit disks and sand off the old gelcoat until the cracks are gone and you see solid, smooth fiberglass (most likely kind of green-ish in color, but it depends upon what sort of promoter they used in that particular resin - could also be brown-ish, pink-ish or blue-ish). You will also likely start to see the white-ish weave or fiber pattern of the fiberglass fabric starting to show and that's a good sign that you have gone far enough in that spot. On a boat that size, the gelcoat removal job is probably a couple solid afternoons of sanding.

Once the gelcoat is gone and the hull is smooth and crack-free, you will need to give it a new "skin". This can be done with new gelcoat, but it's not a very good home-project. Gelcoat needs to be run "hot" (lots of catalyst so that it sets very quickly or it will peel and curl) and for even coverage on big areas, it almost has to be sprayed. It needs to be at least about as thick as a dime - plus enough extra thickness to sand and polish it smooth because it tends to orange-peel pretty badly on the surface. When you combine that with the fire hazard, toxic fumes, messy clean-up, etc. It's not worth fooling with unless you're in the business of re-gelcoating boats - so we'll go to plan B.

Plan B - Polyester Resin skin, plus paint: This would be adding a new skin by rolling on several coats (3-6 depending on your rolling style, the particular resin used and the temperature) of plain polyester resin. These are done rapid-fire, with the next coat being rolled on as soon as the previous coat is stiff enough to support it. Polyester is air-inhibited. Unless sealed off from the air, its surface will stay a bit tacky to improve the bond of subsequent layers. (this is what's known as "laminating" polyester resin). There is a second type called "surfacing polyester resin" - or "waxed polyester resin". It had a small amount of wax (paraffin dissolved in styrene monomer) added to it. While hardening, the wax floats to the surface, sealing air out and allowing the surface to harden tack-free. You can either make all your coats with unwaxed resin and add a little bit of the wax surfacing agent to the final coat to finish it off - or - you can do them all with waxed resin. In that case though, you want to be sure to do the coats as rapid-fire as possible. That way, the wax from a previous coat will then float up through the fresh coat too, rather than trapping a layer of wax between the various layers of resin. No sanding is done between coats and most of that afternoon is spent watching resin harden. The rolling itself is a pretty quick task. After all the coats are applied and have hardened for a few days, a couple hours of sanding will eliminate any drips, sags or runs, leaving you a nice smooth surface that's ready for the paint of your choice.

Plan C - the best one - coming up in a few minutes.......

[Garret]

While we're waiting for Todd's Plan C.... ;-) Caveat: I'm no expert! This is just my experience with something similar.

I have a 60's vintage Dyer Dhow (9' sailing dinghy) that had similar issues. Not as bad though. I've had it in regular use for 10 years & it looks fine. Perfect? Nope - but very serviceable.

I scraped the hull to remove anything loose. Then I sanded to get it reasonably fair - checking for any loose gelcoat & picking at it to remove it. I followed that with a thin layer of epoxy with filler (cabosil, if I remember correctly). Obviously this layer was thicker where the gelcoat was gone & almost non-existent where it was good. I then finish sanded & painted with Interlux Brightsides (to match the big boat).

I did a quick sand & repaint 5 years ago & will do another this year. The only places that needed any additional filler were new damage - as in dummyhead here running into the dock scrapes & the like.

Hope this helps -

[Ian McColgin]

Todd's remarks reminded me that my units got a serious enough sanding that most of the gel coat was gone. Whtever you do starts with violent abrasives.

[Todd Bradshaw]

Re-skinning Plan C is very similar to Plan B, except we use epoxy resin mixtures instead of polyester resin. It costs more, but eliminates most of the toxic fumes, the messing with wax and the fire/explosion hazards that polyesters bring along. Also, epoxy actually sticks better to old polyester than even fresh polyester will. You can either use plain epoxy resin/hardener mixtures, a pre-manufactured epoxy/filler compound like "Interprotect" (from Interlux) or make your own (which is what I do using WEST epoxy 105/205 resin and their barrier coat additive, which is actually tiny aluminum flakes in sort of a powder form). The aluminum flakes (which are likely the added ingredient in Interprotect as well as home mixtures) form a physical barrier to moisture penetrating the coating, making the resin even more water resistant. The moisture would actually need to zig-zag between the suspended flakes to get in. While the plain resin will work, the extra water resistance of the Interprotect or barrier coat home mixtures are probably worth the trouble as long as you're going to be there anyway. The flake powder is mixed into the epoxy a few spoonfuls per batch of resin and multiple layers will eventually show a opaque grey color. You will need about ten mils of thickness. When roller-applied (and allowing for some finish sanding) this probably means five or six coats using a thin foam roller. It's usually done in one long day, with most of it spent waiting for coats to harden. Another plus to the aluminum powder is that it makes the resin a bit harder and more abrasion resistant. No sanding is done between coats and after they've had about a week to really harden up, you sand it all smooth and then paint with your choice of paints.

For more info on the coating process, hunt up "gelcoat blister repair" (Gougeon Brothers has a booklet on it and there are a lot of other sources as well). You may or may not have blisters as well as cracks in the gelcoat, but blister repair is also usually done by removing the old gelcoat first and drying out the hull. After that, the re-skinning process would be the same as we would do for this boat. The transformation does take some work, some of it not terribly pleasant, but it really isn't very difficult. This is a similar one that I did a few years ago (Nordica 16). It had cracks, blisters and had been allowed to fill up with water while sitting on the trailer, forcing the rear pads to break through the hull. I bought it for $600, patched the holes, ground down the gelcoat and re-skinned it with epoxy and the aluminum powder, followed by new paint. It was a lot of work, but it was worth saving and a very fun little boat.

[callsign222]

Holy Baloney that is a cute boat!

What an all-star response. Thanks for the advice everyone, I really appreciate it. I hope that I can get this project off the ground!

[Breakaway]

There are gel coat peelers--sort of like an electric plane. You can buy one, but maybe farm out that part of the job, than do the re-skin/new finish yourself.

I see you are in New Hampshire. I Have 2.5 gallons of Interlux 2000E/2001 epoxy hull repair coating that is simply aging under my workbench. Its leftover, but unopened, from a blister repair job I did for 20-foot powerboat last year. If you can sand/peel/grind whatever to a fair surface without exposing the actual fibers of the reinforcing fabric, it will work fine to seal up the hull and provide an excellent base for the finish coat of your choice. (If you do expose the fabric, absolutely use a high-solids regular epoxy as Todd describes above)

Anyway, its yours for the taking--meaning you pay and arrange the shipping--if you would like it. Just PM me.

Kevin

[rbgarr]

Gelplane: http://www.hotvac.com/gelplane/default.aspx

Expensive item.

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

I have used most of what Todd refers to as Plan C to restore a small Maximar Moldings fibreglass dinghy from around 1958. The gel coat was badly spider cracked, and there were some rub rail leaks etc. I repaired the rub rail area by grinding out the old glass and using thickened epoxy, then coated the most deteriorated areas with clear epoxy. I use Interprotect 2000, the Interlux barrier coat, to coat the entire boat, then scuffed the surface, primed and painted with interlux brightsides. Worked very well, and the cracking has not reappeared two years on.

[AlanL]

I have just finished resurrecting an old fibreglass dinghy and did pretty much what Todd described in plan C. I went hell for leather with one of those 3M paint strippers attached to the electric drill and took off as much surface coating as I could plus the remnants of previous repairs, then liberally applied epoxy resin to fill any crack that had appeared. In some place I used glass mat too because the hull had been weakened due to impacts with rocks and in other I included varying amounts of powder to fill holes, dents, etc. After much more sanding I then coated with epoxy primer and three coats of epoxy (two pot) paint. Some of these chemicals are really nasty and so I dressed for the occasion. I also brushed/rollered the primer and paint on rather than by sprayer so I didn't cause health problems with the neighbours. Successive coats of paint were applied as soon as the previous was completed, starting from the beginning.

[callsign222]

I'm going to start refurbishing this little craft here. Anyone interested in pics as I go along or should I just do this quietly?

[David G]

Are you kidding? You're offering fotos... and you think anyone will say nay? Silly Boy!

BTW - in the interim, I've acquired a 13.5' fiberglass pulling boat that will need the same treatment. The gelcoat isn't all crazed, like yours, it's just been polished enough to be thin or gone. I've cleaned it up, and will patch the dings, sand, roll on a layer of unfilled epoxy resin or two, sand again, then paint. I'm thinking this is maybe my chance to try out the System 3 water-reducible 2-part polyurethane.

[JayInOz]

Once again I'll suggest that for sound advice on fibreglass repairs, check out the "FiberGlassics" site. The experts on that site are the equal of the wood boat gurus on this one. It's also great to check out some of the early, small fibreglass boats designed and built in America- some really amazing designs and some stunning restorations. JayInOz

[JMAC]

My own strong opinion is that you choose whichever method posted above that you know for a fact will still get you out on the water this season. Could be as simple as slapping a coat of paint on, or just put it back together and go sailing...it's not going to get dramatically worse in a year. Having had great fun on the water in the summer is a powerful motivator to spend hours sanding mid-winter.

[wizbang 13]

Curved sprit!!

[callsign222]

While taking the sail track off the mast I've broken several screws. I'm not surprised, they are 60yrs old and some are badly corroded. The breaks are deep and the screws small. Even with a 5/64" bit for a #1 extractor, I can't keep the bit from sliding off into the screw into the softer wood, so getting a pilot hole in the screw is a real pain. Anyone have any tricks to removing small broken screws from deep inside a mast? What about pounding them deeper into the mast and filling the hole afterwards?

Also, would a track from this era be made of copper or bronze? I can't tell the difference on this one. Would silicone bronze screws be the way to go to mitigate corrosion, etc?

[rbgarr]

I'd plug all those holes and shift the track up or down enough to screw into good wood. It won't make that much difference to the rig. Round head bronze screws will be fine. The track is most likely bronze. Copper would bend too easily. Good luck, and please do post photos.

[Mrleft8]

The guy who resurfaced the bath tub at my parent's house said that he uses the same stuff to repair crazed gel-coat on boats. HVLP spray system, and a very smooth finish. I have absolutely no idea how well it holds up, but considering the bath tub environment..... It might be worth a call to the local bath tub resurface guy in your yellow pages.

[wizbang 13]

Yes,exactly,just shift the track a bit

[callsign222]

I'm starting with the masts first. (The mast pictured is my GIS mast, fyi) They are some sort of light softwood, spruce probably, very light. They are two-piece construction glued together. The varnish is in good condition, and the mast has character bruises underneath. I'm not going to strip it, but give it a light sand and put 2 or so coats of new varnish on top. First though, I stripped the hardward off the mast and labeled things. Labeling things is prudent. I usually never label anything and then I'm stuck trying to put things back together. The smaller of the three fiberglass sheaves is the rub collar for the mast partner since the mast is a free standing and rotates with the sail. The two others are the collars for the two part mast to join. As you can see, simple rig with little else to it.



The masts have these neat little wood shims for the tracks to elevate the track over the fiberglass collars. I left these on since they seem glued on. One is a little loose, but a little bit o' Titebond and varnish and screws will take care of that. This is only one mast, but both pieces have them.



I pulled out the sail yesterday and it's in decent shape for a 50-60yr old sail. I would like to have a new one made up but maybe that will happen next year, I don't know. I will contemplate further. This is not going to be a rapid restoration here, but a gentle project to see me to the beginning of this summer.

PS Thanks for the interest and advice, by the way-- I appreciate it! She's a great dinghy, rows fantastic and sails sweet. Lots of heritage too.

[callsign222]

What kind of wood would you all recommend for the thwarts and centerboard trunk cap? They are rotten and need to be replaced. Domestic would be nice-- but I would like some rot-resistant properties since the boat is stored outside upside down and water sometimes leaks into the trunk, and it should be easy on the wallet. It will be varnished, but it does not have to look amazing, just decent. I was thinking of Doug Fir or maybe something harder like Cherry or Walnut since they'll be high-use items. Any recs?

[David G]

Any of those will work. Cherry is not much harder than doug. fir. Specific gravities are .54 & .58. Black walnut is a couple steps harder at .64 All have decent durability and rot resistance. I'd let other factors decide, like aesthetics, availability, and price.

[Full Tilt]

[QUOTE=callsign222;3322270]I'm starting with the masts first.

It's been 2 years since your original post and you are just now getting to the mast? I see the hull beneath the mast is as it was in the first post. What happened? I can see how so much well meaning, but contrary advice could have been overwhelming. It really isn't that tough a job, especially with the amazing paints available these days. Looks like a nice shop you've got. Pull out the random orbital sander and get the old cracked gelcoat off. Put on a proper ventilator mask and turn on the shop vac. Start with some 60 grit and get the worst of it off. Is the deck structurally rigid as new or has the UV weakened it. If it has you're gonna have to epoxy a couple of stiffeners underneath. Switch to 100 grit and sand down until the big bumps are more or less smoothed out. Sand until you reach the glass . Bad areas and cracks will appear white where the glass is damaged. After you're finished sanding, clean and degrease the area and paint on a coat of unthickened epoxy resin like West. Those damaged white areas might need a couple coats. The next day, using a trim roller, roll on a coat of Interprotect 2000. Its an epoxy barrier coat with glass flakes in it and will go on thick to hide a lot of irregularities. It sticks like S.to a B. and replaces the gelcoat. Follow the instructions and put a couple of coats on the decks and gunwhales, more on the hull, especially below the waterline. Sand and paint with a two part urethane like Interlux Perfection using the correct foam rollers(others will quickly dissolve) and a good badger brush to tip out the roller marks. Three coats and it will look like new and be more durable.
Mike
I hope you took Kevin up on the offer of a free can of Interprotect, that stuff ain't cheap, but forget about the peeler he suggested for this job. As far as the thwarts and trunk cap go, might as well splurge on Teak since you need so little, nothing else compares.

[callsign222]

It's been 2 years since your original post and you are just now getting to the mast?

Ha, well you know, I needed some incoming income before I was going to start this. Hence the revival since I am now working again.

Thanks for the tips I will post as I continue.

[callsign222]

So, I did some sanding on the hull today with some 60 grit. Not long, about 20 min or so, and I just hummed along in one area seeing what would materialize below the white.

Apparently, at some point green bottom paint had been applied:



I had knows that in the past there was red bottom paint but I never knew about the green. The red can still be seen in the cracks in the coat--



and I must say the surface is all very smooth.



Why would I not want to sand this boat down to almost smooth, like this section, and then use a high-build primer, like Interlux has, to fill in the cracks? A few coats of that would do the trick, would it not? What would be the cons to do that, as opposed to sanding the whole thing down to glass itself and then applying several coats of barrier-infused epoxy? Seriously.

IN other news, the blank for the centerboard was glued up today also, which will have it's own host of small problem solving down the road.

[Full Tilt]

(Quote)
Why would I not want to sand this boat down to almost smooth, like this section, and then use a high-build primer, like Interlux has, to fill in the cracks? A few coats of that would do the trick, would it not? What would be the cons to do that, as opposed to sanding the whole thing down to glass itself and then applying several coats of barrier-infused epoxy? Seriously.

Don't sand more than you have to. If the old gelcoat is firmly adhered thats basically all you need to do, but first, areas of exposed glass need to be re-saturated with an unfilled resin that can soak into the fibre. Including the inside of the cracks.Next, fill the irregularities and cracks with epoxy thickened with an easily sandable filler. Sand the hull fair and apply the Interprotect 2000.
Centreboard looks good, any fasteners in it? What's the wood?
Mike

[callsign222]

Don't sand more than you have to. If the old gelcoat is firmly adhered thats basically all you need to do, but first, areas of exposed glass need to be re-saturated with an unfilled resin that can soak into the fibre. Including the inside of the cracks.Next, fill the irregularities and cracks with epoxy thickened with an easily sandable filler. Sand the hull fair and apply the Interprotect 2000.
Centreboard looks good, any fasteners in it? What's the wood?
Mike

The cracks are so shallow, it would mean I would be coating the whole boat with epoxy over the gelcoat. Is this something I want to do? I figure if I coat the boat in epoxy I should bring the whole thing down to glass instead of bonding epoxy over the gelcoat, that's why I was thinking going with the high-build primer idea over the gelcoat instead, which would fill the cracks for a smooth finish (in theory).

The centerboard is WRC with a Doug Fir leading edge. I'm going to NACA it up with my GIS patterns, glass it, and paint it. No fasteners.

[Rik van der Vaart]

My feeling is to always remove anything of questionable quality from a boat and replace with something better. A hull coating should bond into one layer, protecting the hull, be it an epoxy shell or a paint cover. The cracked/segmented layer has no other function to be in between two other layers. But it could cause issues, like delamination, which brings more work in the future. So I would replace the cracked layer.

[richincident]

Another excellent resource for this kind of work is the Plastic Classic forum. They tend to be more sailboat oriented. There are lots of "case studies" on similar repairs!

http://plasticclassicforum.com/forum/

[Full Tilt]

My feeling is to always remove anything of questionable quality from a boat and replace with something better. A hull coating should bond into one layer, protecting the hull, be it an epoxy shell or a paint cover. The cracked/segmented layer has no other function to be in between two other layers. But it could cause issues, like delamination, which brings more work in the future. So I would replace the cracked layer.

Rik, I agree completely and the interprotect 2000 would be that continuous layer, however bearing in mind that this is a VERY early FG Dinghy weighing twice as much as a modern boat and the gelcoat has been on there for half a century it probably isn't going anywhere. It is badly crazed from age, not stress, you can tell by the pattern of the cracks. Stress cracks look like spiders webs, radiating from the point of pressure. This mud flat looking pattern is caused by shrinkage. Stress cracks must be opened up with something like a dremel tool to ensure resin penetration. If stress cracks have been caused by flex, than the structure needs reinforcing on the inside of the hull. This boat will not live in the water nor a museum, and to obsess on perfection in restoring her would be silly, create a considerable amount of toxic waste, require pointless labor, and needless expense. I believe Callsign222s' priority is to go sailing(and maybe for a row or two).
The barrier coat of Interprotect 2000 will stabilize and bond what remains of the original surface. I have a lot of experience with Interprotect 2000 and have found it to be an excellent product that lives up to its claims. There are other brands that are similar but I have no experience with them.
And Callsign, before using the Interprotect,I would still try to get some thin resin into the cracks before filling them with epoxy and sandable filler like micro balloons, not the colloidal silica or cabosil some one mentioned above. Filler must be softer than the surrounding gelcoat or it will not sand evenly. I2000 is hard to sand, as it is reinforced with glass particles.
Red cedar and Douglas fir with no mechanical fasteners for the centerboard? Maybe someone with more experience than I with these materials would care to comment.
Mike

[Rik van der Vaart]

Filler must be softer than the surrounding gelcoat or it will not sand evenly

I used west 410 as filler and it is very easy to sand and becomes very smooth. I used it with MAS epoxy product. Could it be used in conjunction with the 2000?

[Full Tilt]

I used west 410 as filler and it is very easy to sand and becomes very smooth. I used it with MAS epoxy product. Could it be used in conjunction with the 2000?

Rik, if you mean 'can it be mixed with the I2000' the short answer is 'no'. It can however be used as the filler to fill the cracks if used with epoxy resin, prior to the I2000. The glass flakes in I2000 would be incompatable with a sandable filler and would reduce the moisture barrier quality of the coating. Check with Interlux, but I don't think they recommend adding any solids to I2000.
The more we talk about these nasty materials, the more I appreciate wooden boats.
I want to share a little story with everyone who chooses hydrocarbons to build boats. After a day at the Toronto Boat Show this past January, I was having an ale with some sailing chums I rarely get to see. We were talking about nice boats and someone mentioned the Corbin 39'. It was a kit boat that had appeared years earlier at the show. Hull, liner, deck, engine and ballast already installed, just finish her off and go. Several were built in the area and they were lovely fibreglass boats. 'The guys who built them are all dead now', one of my friends says. 'Yeah, all died from cancer'. Sad but true.
If you're going to use these chemicals, be aware of what you're dealing with.
Mike

[Rik van der Vaart]

Just use appropriate ppe's and we should be fine. Epoxy is nasty stuff, so we all need to be careful, you are right. But woods also contain many chemicals which we should be aware about and careful with... It is very hard to point out causes of sicknesses. To live in fear itself could be a cause.

The relaxing that is result from building something beautiful like a boat should balance out sickness-creating stresses.

So the 2000 stuff is to cover the filled with something like epoxy with 210.

[Full Tilt]

Hi Rik, have you seen the cover of this months Wooden Boat? Stephane sitting in a golden glow at days end, contemplating the lines of planking he is in the process of hanging. Very relaxing and one of the joys of boatbuilding. Don't try the same with a fibreglass boat. Do what you have to do and get away from it. When you finish a days work get out of all that PPE and get any of the stuff that might have gotten on your skin off, then take a shower and put on fresh clothes Resist the temptation to inspect your efforts and stay away til the fumes clear.
The men who finished off their Corbin 39's weren't living in fear, but were looking forward to a long life enjoying the fruits of their labour.
And yes to your last question.
Mike

[Rik van der Vaart]

No, i haven't seen that pic yet. But even with lapstrake wooden builds epoxy is used. So we just have to respect these dangerous chemicals and protect ourselves. Then we can enjoy the result.
I am building a small wooden boat, stitch and glue method. So marine ply with fiber coated hull with epoxy. The epoxy seems to be the best stuff to work with to float the boat. I get all the satisfaction working with the ply and available pine.
Just the other day i did exactly what you mention, going back and look at the day's work... After getting cleaned up, without mask... That will never happen again. My small project is all about learning to build a boat with all the ins and outs, dos and donts that come along. Thanks for your extensive and informative posts Mike.

[callsign222]

Some progress. The hull has been sanded once, and it will be sanded again one more time. Today I shaped up the centerboard (NACA shaped to Storer's jigs) and dropped it in the slot just for a look-see.





I also took apart the old centerboard and freed this bronze piece that the centerboard handle slides into. It has a "14" stamped on it. I will screw it in place instead of pounding bronze rods through it like the original.





So next up I will glass the centerboard, install this bronze thing.

The boat needs another sanding and then I will start to apply the barrier coat and the paint. Interior needs a sanding too.

[Rik van der Vaart]

What did you use to fair/fill up the hull? She looks like a lot of fun when all done. It is unclear to me what those bronze parts are for.

[callsign222]

I have not faired the hull yet. That is coming after the 2nd sanding. I'm going to use Interlux Epoxy Primekote. It will fill these very shallow cracks a bit, and offer a barrier layer of sorts. (and it was the right price!!!)

The bronze parts-- the square is inlaid into the centerboard, and the centerboard lever-control-arm slides into it and is friction locked in place on the outside of the trunk with hardware that is not shown. I will take a picture.

[callsign222]

Here you go. Male piece, female piece, and there's some stuff to hold it all together.

[G.Sherman]

It looks like your centerboard is in backwards.. shouldn't the lower edge be parallel to the keel?

[wizbang 13]

It looks like your centerboard is in backwards.. shouldn't the lower edge be parallel to the keel?

I was wondering if the "naca foil" was laid out and built for vertical , not 45 ish degrees?

[Full Tilt]

I was wondering if the "naca foil" was laid out and built for vertical , not 45 ish degrees?

I think the board foil shape is correct and the bottom edge is also appropriate. The pic shows some slot ahead of the boards leading edge, which makes me think it isn't fully down, which would make the NACA profile correct.
The pic in post #1 shows the angle of the aft end of the trunk, which seems to correspond with the shape of the centreboard. The leading edge has to be the length it is to fill the slot when raised, and the trailing edge length is dictated by the radius of the boards swing. Any longer and it would contact the aft end of the slot.
I like the heavy-duty bronze lever fittings. I think I'd make a new handle for it though, that one looks like a replacement anyway. Might be nice if the handle had a ball head to match the casting.
Mike

[callsign222]

Full Tilt is correct, the end of the board is shaped such to fit the trunk. Trust me, it's correct.

The board might actually extend more than shown, I just placed it in the trunk for a visual and taking pictures. The idea that the foil might not be completely in line with relative water direction could definitely be correct, but it will be far better than what used to be there, which for all purposes was a plank of wood. I'm not looking to win races, just to improve low speed handling on a lee shore, for instance... and an excuse to use my hand plane. Not a biggie. It looks sharp.

The handle is actually in great shape thankfully, I just need to strip it and sand it and give it some varnish.

Thanks for the comments!

[callsign222]

Ok, so I've just applied three coats of Epoxy Primekote to the previously unseen and unknown waterline. I will paint this area first, and then work on the rest of the hull. Since I had such a nice waterline available, I didn't want to lose it under the primer and then have to redraw it myself.



Here she is with the lines taped off.

Three coats later:





Tomorrow I will get the first coat of powder-blue Brightside onto this area. At the Maine Boatbuilder Show, Hamilton Marine had a sale going on, and we found some uber-cheap powder blue Brightsides-- perfect! About 10 bucks a quart, if I remember right, and it's almost the same color as what was applied in decades past. A good find.

Now, the cracks are mostly filled. Some are not, but it's significantly better than what it was. Additionally, everything is definitely sealed tight now, which is a bonus. The Primekote calls for 2 coats, but I went with three, each one thinned slightly less than the one before to get the best coverage possible. I will have to buy a new can, which is not awesome budget wise, but is required, I think, due to the gelcoat cracks.

The centerboard was glassed last night-- though I still need to cap the ends and fill a little more weave.



That's all for now. It's been a super-dry spring, perfect for varnishing the spars (done) and I have a new sail on order at Withum Sailmaker in Amesbury, MA.

Now it's pouring and I have lots of days off but the paint is taking forever to dry. Until next week.

[Full Tilt]

Looking Good!
Have you been filling the cracks with epoxy and sanding the surface smooth or applying full coats til the cracks disappear? Epoxy is light in the brush, but heavy when it's several whole coats.

Brightsides is great paint for topsides, but a little soft for bottoms. I would paint copper racing bottom over epoxy for below the waterline.

You can't really go too far wrong with a job like this, enjoy the work, it'll be over before you know it.

Mike

[callsign222]

Looking Good!
Have you been filling the cracks with epoxy and sanding the surface smooth or applying full coats til the cracks disappear? Epoxy is light in the brush, but heavy when it's several whole coats.

Brightsides is great paint for topsides, but a little soft for bottoms. I would paint copper racing bottom over epoxy for below the waterline.

You can't really go too far wrong with a job like this, enjoy the work, it'll be over before you know it.

Mike

Thanks Mike! I'm liking how it's turning out too. When it's done it's going to look awesome. The spars came out great, and the new sail will look sweet.

The primer is Epoxy Primekote-- already a primer/epoxy mix kind of thing that is doing the job that you mentioned wonderfully, and the reason I got it. The cracks were too shallow, too numerous, and too tight in density to go around and bristle in epoxy to the cracks-- it would have meant that by default the whole boat would have been coated in epoxy anyway and the sanding job would have been onerous. This stuff just rolls on nice and easy and does the two jobs at once.

My Goat is Brightsides and I was happy with the end result. Easy to use with nice results and since this boat won't be in the water all the time (maybe for a few months in the summer) I'm ok with it. Not perfect, but this boat isn't perfect either. (and the price at 10 bucks was too awesome to pass up!) I'm hoping to let the paint cure and get as hard as possible before I launch, since I still have to do the interior and wait for the sail, it should be good. If it gets banged up I can easily sand it off and start again.