1990 Capri 14.2 Refit

stansquatch

1990 Catalina Capri 14.2 - Hull #3473
OK! After borrowing a trailer, driving 120 miles, and trusting a guy off craigslist that the boat wasn't a total POS...I have acquired my first sailboat! After a thorough look over I decided that with a little sweat and elbow grease I could make it into a perfect little day sailer to rip around my local harbor in.

NOW FOR THE OVERHAUL! I cleaned out all the leaves and gave it a good pressure wash to clean it up. I removed the bow hook, deck hardware, and pulled out the insert under the cubby. Someone siliconed it in! ICK, better than removing 5200! I crawled in there to take a look and the stringers aren't rotten, but definitely wet. I am going to to let it dry out while I do the bottom, then probably put a dehumidifier in there to get it as dry as I can.

Wondering how they had gotten so wet, it was soon apparent when I drug it up on the dock and flipped it over. About 2/3s of the way up the bottom of the hull where I believer there is a stringer or bulkhead I found two large damaged areas. You can see them circled in red on the close up of the hull.

I could see some sheared fiberglass in there (very thin). It is obviously a hard spot and has been torn up from dragging it up the beach and being rammed into the dock buy the previous owner, etc. It had been sitting on this guys lawn and I assume the there was a capillary effect and the wood soaked it up. WET, but not totally ROTTEN.

SO! I will be posting photos of the project coming along. I am going to put some bottom paint on it because I have a spot to keep it here in the harbor, then I'll haul it out and put it on a cradle for those bitter cold winter months.

Today I ordered a new gasket set for the centerboard because the existing one was pretty chewed up. I also got some new shrouds. Anyways, I hope you guys have fun following along and and would appreciate any input!

I am trying to source a rub rail for it and called Taco and Catalina direct and sailboat owners . com and havent heart anything. Has anyone replaced one of these?
 

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Looks like a fun project and seems like you are enjoying it. Are you using Epoxy for the Fiberglass repairs? ...... I have researched this quite a bit and it seems that the Epoxy bonds much better to the old fiberglass !
 
Yes, I am planning to use some white Epoxy paint for the hull and top sides. I haven't decided on which brand yet. I have a long row to hoe in fixing all the gashes on the bottom and stem...also the stern...and the bow..hahah. If anyone has a good suggestion for a brand. I havent decided application method either, but am leaning towards brushing it on.

Right now I have some Marine Tex putty to fill in some of the shallower lesions and build up some areas. I am going to need to put some mat down and glass down in a couple of areas too.

There is a ton of moisture on the inside of the hull right now I am planning to let it keep drying out for at least another week if not more...I sure hope the pesky local river otters don't climb up in there and thrash it then shit all over!!
 
Well it looks like some hot weather coming your way, should speed up the drying out, maybe stick a fan in there as well to keep the air moving. Repairing the corners at the rear gunwales look like an interesting challenge, will need a bit of creative work for sure. I am thinking silly putty as a mold for holding and forming the mat and holding it until the resin sets .... and of course there is good old Duct Tape! ..... For painting, brushing and tipping works for me !

That's funny about the Otters :D ...... we have Raccoons and Squirrels to worry about :(
 
OK! After borrowing a trailer, driving 120 miles, and trusting a guy off craigslist that the boat wasn't a total POS...I have acquired my first sailboat! After a thorough look over I decided that with a little sweat and elbow grease I could make it into a perfect little day sailer to rip around my local harbor in.

NOW FOR THE OVERHAUL! I cleaned out all the leaves and gave it a good pressure wash to clean it up. I removed the bow hook, deck hardware, and pulled out the insert under the cubby. Someone siliconed it in! ICK, better than removing 5200! I crawled in there to take a look and the stringers aren't rotten, but definitely wet. I am going to to let it dry out while I do the bottom, then probably put a dehumidifier in there to get it as dry as I can.

Wondering how they had gotten so wet, it was soon apparent when I drug it up on the dock and flipped it over. About 2/3s of the way up the bottom of the hull where I believer there is a stringer or bulkhead I found two large damaged areas. You can see them circled in red on the close up of the hull.

I could see some sheared fiberglass in there (very thin). It is obviously a hard spot and has been torn up from dragging it up the beach and being rammed into the dock buy the previous owner, etc. It had been sitting on this guys lawn and I assume the there was a capillary effect and the wood soaked it up. WET, but not totally ROTTEN.

SO! I will be posting photos of the project coming along. I am going to put some bottom paint on it because I have a spot to keep it here in the harbor, then I'll haul it out and put it on a cradle for those bitter cold winter months.

Today I ordered a new gasket set for the centerboard because the existing one was pretty chewed up. I also got some new shrouds. Anyways, I hope you guys have fun following along and and would appreciate any input!

I am trying to source a rub rail for it and called Taco and Catalina direct and sailboat owners . com and havent heart anything. Has anyone replaced one of these?


Looks like you've got your work cut out for you, but they're great little boats, so it'll be worth it.
I recommend laying fiberglass inside where the hull is thin and then applying gelcoat on the outside. There is a v. inexpensive spray pack system called Val pack, available from West Marine, that I used on mine to build up the gelcoat, and it worked well. Paint? Certainly not for me, but I guess if you're leaving it in a slip...
I'd also used fiberglass on the damaged corners, although getting it to set up right would be a trick.
My boat was letting in a lot of rainwater through the hatch seal, and it was an easy but necessary fix.
Best of luck with her.
 
I read your post with great interest. The picture of the broken corner was really interesting, my boat has the same issue only on the opposite side. My thoughts were to build up the underside of the missing piece with Styrofoam and shape it the best I can, seal it and make a male mold so I can lay up a replacement corner.
 
I read your post with great interest. The picture of the broken corner was really interesting, my boat has the same issue only on the opposite side. My thoughts were to build up the underside of the missing piece with Styrofoam and shape it the best I can, seal it and make a male mold so I can lay up a replacement corner.

Seems like stansquatch has been busy working that very issue. ..... I suggested using silly putty as a mold but maybe a piece of very light sheet metal could be easier to work with and once the desired shape is made, it could be hot glued to the top-side and then filled from below with the resin soaked fiberglass mat. Then, once it is all set up, the sheet metal form is easily removed with a bit of heat from a heat gun or hair dryer. I like your suggestion of using Styrofoam as well, it's easy to shape with sandpaper but it will dissolve very quickly if it comes in contact with Polyester resin ..... Epoxy should be ok unless it has been thinned with Acetone.
Cheers!
 
I agree, Styrofoam can be dissolved very easily for a number of different reasons.
I was thinking that once the correct shape is achieved the surface should be sealed completely and a mold release agent applied. Then making a female (not make as I said before) that is braces to hold its shape. The new female mold is used to them make a replacement part of the same thickness. Once the new female mold is made, the Styrofoam is removed before the replacement part is applied.

Or, if you could find a boat with a corner that was NOT damaged and the owner was willing to let you use it to make a female mold the number of steps could be reduced...
 
Or, if you could find a boat with a corner that was NOT damaged and the owner was willing to let you use it to make a female mold the number of steps could be reduced...

This is actually the best idea yet provided the bumper strip does not get in the way! ... should not be a problem if there are other Capri Skippers around ... Sailors are usually big on lending a hand. :)
 
UPDATE! So Life happens and sometimes ya slow loose steam on projects, but this week I finsihed all of my sanding, grinding, fiberglass work on the bottom and got the first 2 coats of primer down! Things really look like they're taking shape and I plan to put down 3 coats of perfection off white for the topsides, prime and paint the boot stripes and then shlop some bottom paint on her!

Then to the interior work! Large areas of the honeycomb material on the inside of the bottom of the hull have cracked and become separated from the hull...as well as some of the wood tabbing to support the bulkhead where the sleeve insert goes...My plan is to re-tab the bulkhead and lay down some fiberglass resin to the honeycomb and get it to stick to the bottm and also some spots on the inside of the hull where there are strips of honeycomb.

Also then I'll need to paint the deck to match the nice shiny Hull I'll have when it's done right? Jury is still out on fixing up the rub rail, but I'm leaning towards maring a mold from another one like @Jhmagill suggests, or just filling it in with some epoxy and then caulking a rubber run rail around it?

Enjoy the photos of progress!!
 

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Looks like you've got your work cut out for you, but they're great little boats, so it'll be worth it.
I recommend laying fiberglass inside where the hull is thin and then applying gelcoat on the outside. There is a v. inexpensive spray pack system called Val pack, available from West Marine, that I used on mine to build up the gelcoat, and it worked well. Paint? Certainly not for me, but I guess if you're leaving it in a slip...
I'd also used fiberglass on the damaged corners, although getting it to set up right would be a trick.
My boat was letting in a lot of rainwater through the hatch seal, and it was an easy but necessary fix.
Best of luck with her.
Thanks for the interest! I am planning to leave it in the water for about half of the year so bottom paint is necessary. I'll be storing it in a cradle with the mast down and tarped up through the winter...probably dropping it in for a sail when we have some fair winter weather. Can't wait to get this thing rippin around the harbor!!
 
I believe it's safe to say; there's a Capri 14.2 emerging out of the dust ! .... Congratulations Cap'n stansquatch !
 

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