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C25 hull damage from front roller

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hobbawley
Deckhand

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USA
7 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/20/2009 : 18:08:59

I live in West Texas and as the drought progresses the lake levels keep dropping. It is more difficult to launch with the trailer because the stern lifts in the water and the bow dips down. Recently, the bow completely cut thru the front roller and the hull was damaged thru the gel coat and just barely into the fiberglass. Is it safe to sail with this damge to the hull or should I get it fixed or fix it myself? Does the fiberglass need repair or only put another layer of gel coat over the fiberglass. Very superficial "crush" from the roller about 4 inches long. I would appreciate any suggestions from you salts! Thanks.

bob hawley
"Winging It" 1989 C25/SR/WK
Sailing Fort Phantom Lake
Abilene Texas

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 11/20/2009 : 19:05:09

Bob, Welcome to the forum. You'll find a lot of help here.

It's hard to say how much damage was done to the hull but, I really think you likely just have a gelcoat injury. Gelcoat is not structural, just makes the outer layer of fiberglass look pretty. There should be an inspection port inside the boat to give you access to the bow eye. Look in there and that should give you an indication of damage to the structural fiberglass. If you see cracking inside, there may be cause for concern but I don't think you'll find any.

BTW -- it's customary here to include your boat details in your signature because that will give guys more insight into your boat specifically. Where do you sail?

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Mark Maxwell
Captain

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USA
329 Posts

Response Posted - 11/20/2009 : 20:57:07

Welcome to the forum.

Our boats are very tough in that area. I would think only the gel coat may have chipped but thats only the surface. Can you post pictures? That might help to assess the damage.

Ive seen these boats driven very hard into cement docks with slight gel coat scratches, I cant imagine that the foward force of launching would damage your bow structurally.

Gel coat repair is very easy. Color matching is hard, Catalina Direct has a kit with our paint code so it should match well.

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glivs
Admiral

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USA
836 Posts

Response Posted - 11/21/2009 : 06:20:02

Decide first whether there is any structural damage but if it is only gelcoat, you can probably address it. I repaired mine a couple of years ago to replace a really poor job done by a PO. The gelcoat is particularly thick on the bow. There is some great info online - study it. Additionally there are some experts on this forum...hopefully they will chime in. For starters, use coarse sandpaper, a Dremel or even a can opener to clean up the damaged area and ensure you've got a good V-groove to fill. Clean a substantial area around the damage with rubbing compound/polish to remove any surface oxidation. This will help you in color matching your patch. Then clean the damaged area very well, e.g. 2-3 times, with acetone or MEK (wear nitrile gloves)to remove any wax residue. Don't try to fill the damage in one go. Most likely it will take 2-3 fills. A search on the archives here should help locate a source of gelcoat....that which CD sells is "color matched" by year to our boats..but is pricey. Tape off around the area to protect adjacent surfaces but leave 2-3" each side of the damage as a working area when later sanding. Mix the first application of gelcoat with ground fiberglass shavings to give it a bit of body. Depending upon the gelcoat you use, you may need to cover it to reduce its access to oxygen. I found old overhead transparency material works great - easy to shape around the bow and leaves a smooth surface. Once your last application is in place, use wet sand paper to smooth out the surface. Start with 100 grit and work your way up to 600. Only hand sand after the first shaping with the 100 grit or you can burn the edges.

The first time I did a gelcoat repair I was really quite anxious but actually was surprised by how easy gelcoat sands and how well the repairs look. Good luck.

Edited by - on

hobbawley
Deckhand

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USA
7 Posts

Response Posted - 11/21/2009 : 07:39:37

Thanks for the posts so far. I will be going out to the boat today and will try to get photos. The damage is below the waterline where the front roller on the trailer guides the bottom part of the bow into the double guide by the winch.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 11/21/2009 : 14:20:56

Damage below the waterline should definitely be addressed. Even a very slight hairline crack can leak a lot of water over time.

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5397 Posts

Response Posted - 11/22/2009 : 10:03:26

A good place to start when making fibreglass repairs is Don Casey's book, "Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual".

While the hardcover will set you back between $35-50 depending on where you get it, it is worth every penny if you plan to go it alone and do it yourself repairing your boat.

Don Casey also has a series of articles on boatus.com, and has written severl excellent books which may be available for less $$$ such as "Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair" and "Sailboat Refinishing".

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/22/2009 : 13:51:46

If that damage is on the "V" close to the bow, it'd have to be from dropping the boat quite a distance to be structural. That part of the hull is extraordinarily strong. Dragging the boat onto the trailer isn't going to break it there. If the fiberglass matting is exposed, I might put a dab of unthickened epoxy on that, and then I'd use some gelcoat patch in a tube (from WM or wherever)--a couple of layers to fill the gash above the surrounding surface--then sand with a very fine grit to smooth it down. I've done this and made the gash completely disappear. Since it's below the waterline, color is not an issue--you just want to keep water from seeping into the laminations.

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 11/22/2009 : 17:14:14

I have found the epoxy putty sticks that you knead to activate to be an easy solution for filling prior to gel-coating. I have also used them with compression and shear loads with good results, but lean toward Marine-tex for serious applications.

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hobbawley
Deckhand

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USA
7 Posts

Response Posted - 11/23/2009 : 17:27:20

I have tried several times to upload 4 pictures of the damage on my C25 with no luck. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Bob

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JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 11/23/2009 : 18:00:14

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by hobbawley
 I have tried several times to upload 4 pictures of the damage on my C25 with no luck. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Bob
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">You can find detailed instructions for uploading photos in the [url="http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2623"]testing forum[/url] that you can find at the bottom of the list of Association Forums.

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