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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Adequate Repair Possible?

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Kper
Captain

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USA
417 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/07/2014 : 10:21:51

Hull damage on the bow (not my boat) below the deck but above the waterline from hitting the dock repeatedly in a storm. Repair size would start about 4" below the deck and extend about 12-18 inches down. Repaired area would be about 12 inches horizontally on both sides of the hull to include the bow and tapering to nothing at the lowest point. In other words the repair area would be an inverted triangle when viewed from standing in front of the boat.

Is this something that can be repaired adequately or is there just too much strain from the forestay to trust any fix?

Thank you.

Kyle
'86 SR/SK/Dinette #5284 "Anodyne"
In the barn where we found her...

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2014 : 11:02:53

What you describe certainly sounds repairable. Is this going to be a DIY repair? If so, West System (Gougeon Brothers) has excellent reference material and products. I think most repair areas (if done correctly) end up being stronger.

Check this out!

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/image/92661231

Edited by - OJ on 03/07/2014 11:05:34

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5908 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2014 : 11:04:51

Based on your description, and without seeing it, I think it can be repaired. The question is whether the cost of a proper repair would exceed the value of the boat.

Edited by - on

Kper
Captain

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USA
417 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2014 : 11:34:51

A repair has been started but I have yet to look closely at it so I don't know the extent of the damage. I would post a pic from the street but can't seem to do that from my phone.

It has been sitting in a yard on a trailer since I first noticed it early last summer without any progress on the repair and junk stacked around the trailer. We had some bad winds several years ago and many boats were damaged and totaled. I'm thinking this may be one of the victims and if it's been sitting that long he/she may be eager to let it go. It's not a C25 and from a distance I'm gonna guess it could be as large as a 30.

Not sure if I'm up to working with glass but who knows. I'm only afraid of making it worse or not making an adequate repair.

Edited by - on

Kper
Captain

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USA
417 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2014 : 12:14:48

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OJ

Check this out!

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/image/92661231

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
They're smiling

I don't believe this boat was anywhere near that bad.

Edited by - Kper on 03/07/2014 12:15:36

sdpinaz
Navigator

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USA
193 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2014 : 12:35:45

I bet it is repairable.... Using epoxy to fix it, as said earlier will probably make it stronger than original, and it is really not to challenging, just need to be meticulous and patient. The hard part is making it strong AND light and also fairing it without the thickness being too great. If you go the WEST system route, keep in mind you cannot put new gelcoat over just the repaired area, Gelcoat is not compatible with an epoxy repair, but you could and should paint the hull to make it nice after all is said and done, with a one part or two part. Where are you? maybe someone with previous experience could get you started. I would......but I am in Arizona! Anyway if you get some photos uploaded I can learn a lot, and give you limited help from online.....
Cheers,

Edited by - on

sdpinaz
Navigator

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USA
193 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2014 : 12:38:13

..If you do have it repaired, document it all with photos and writing so you can explain to folks afterwards what you did and the quality of the work, otherwise the resale value would drop to nada. But with a well documented repair that makes it stronger than new and looks good, it won't effect the the resale too much.

Edited by - on

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1797 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2014 : 12:48:50

FWIW -- When I got my boat the hull around the headstay and down the leading edge of the bow approximately 18 inches was crushed/shattered. I did have the hull repaired -- by a reputable marine fiberglass repair facility at considerable cost. Structuraly my boat is sound. However, on reflexion with so many of our hulls available on teh used market the more prudent (read cheaper) alternative would have been to buy a hull in excellent condition, use the best parts/rigging/sails/etc from both and part out the damaged hull.

If you plan on doing a do it yourself repair project, it may be more challenging than it looks. I developed a healthy respect for the people who made the repairs to my hull as they were as much artists as structural engineers. But like anything, it "can" be done -- just is it "worth it"

Edited by - bigelowp on 03/07/2014 12:49:19

Kper
Captain

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USA
417 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2014 : 12:55:16

I'm located in Iowa and sought the advice of an experienced friend who said to pass on it. I, on the other hand, am a sucker for hard luck cases and if it's cheap enough that I am comfortable with taking the chance of losing what I have invested then what the heck. My friend, who works on boats and is skilled, seems to think any damage to this area is not worth repairing because it can't be made as strong as it once was. I say see if it's available and if so take a closer look.

Thanks for all the input.

Edited by - on

sdpinaz
Navigator

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USA
193 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2014 : 13:15:02

Keep in mind, that even if you plan to do it yourself, the materials to do this kind of repair are not cheap. Fiberglass and epoxy resin can add up pretty quickly....

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9087 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2014 : 14:21:32

It's tough to make a repair like that as strong as the hull was originally. The original area was made up of many large sheets of glass mat wrapped around the bow, probably forming a very thick V. The repair should include tapering the edges of the hole so each new lamination will overlap the edge the previous one, leading to the last few layers being much larger than the hole--especially inside where that won't be a cosmetic issue. But the repair still won't have the integrity of the original layup. If the stem fitting for the forestay is bolted to this area or close to it, I would punt--that's a high-stress situation, as is the next time the boat runs into a dock.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 03/07/2014 14:23:47

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2014 : 15:32:07

I would think you would be using sheets of glass cloth the size of pillow cases to wrap around the bow enough. Maybe some kevlar. Some spit fire teeth... make it ugly make it strong.

Edited by - pastmember on 03/07/2014 15:35:26

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2014 : 16:03:18

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Kper
 A repair has been started but I have yet to look closely at it so I don't know the extent of the damage...It has been sitting in a yard on a trailer since I first noticed it early last summer without any progress on the repair and junk stacked around the trailer. We had some bad winds several years ago and many boats were damaged and totaled. I'm thinking this may be one of the victims and if it's been sitting that long he/she may be eager to let it go...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
If it's been sitting that long, he/she may have to pay to have it taken away. Time + moisture + oxygen = mildew.

Many boats are worth less than $0. Be careful.

Edited by - on

Kper
Captain

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USA
417 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2014 : 17:28:14

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">[i]Originally posted by TakeFive

Many boats are worth less than $0. Be careful.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
That thought has crossed my mind.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9087 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2014 : 09:14:22

Yup... Imagine what you'd do to dispose of a 25', 2500# hunk of fiberglass with 1500-2000# of cast iron or lead attached. I guess you start with a Sawzall and a full hazmat suit, mask, and respirator. Sounds like fun! But then there's that keel...

Edited by - on

Kper
Captain

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USA
417 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2014 : 10:39:20

The one thing I do have in my corner is a buddy who owns a scrap yard and said he dispose of a boat if he kept the keel.

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9087 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2014 : 14:42:29

Indeed--the C-25 lead fin (1900#) should be worth over a grand, and the older cast iron version maybe $200. But the lead version has a thick layer of chopped fiberglass over it.

Edited by - on

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