Daggerboard Trunk Repair

Rumdiet

Rumdiet

New Member
I have an older Sunfish, which unfortunately has a very leaky daggerboard trunk. So much so that I am usually dunked by the middle of a sail. Its time to bite the bullet and effect a permanent and lasting repair. I already have an inspection plate in the topsides, and was able to get my hand in there and feel that there is severe tabbing of the fiberglass - almost nicked myself on a couple of shards. My plan is to cut holes in either the topsides or the bottom of the boat on either side of the trunk, then sand away the broken fiberglass shards and apply resin and a couple of layers of glass tape wrapped around the trunk. Hopefully this will solve my problem, allow me to stay upright, and win our informal lake races. I've been bouncing around this site as well as YouTube and a variety of other sites, and can't find any threads on how to do this. Yes, I've seen the threads where someone has used marine-tex and smeared the inside of the trunk and then sanded it with some kind of stick - this is Waaay beyond that, and I want to do something that will last.

So my question is - would it be better to saw my holes in the top of the boat or the bottom. I plan on making an over sized fiberglass mat before cutting, and then once done, I will use epoxy to re-glass the part of the hull I have removed - and I have the skills and the experience to fair in the patch and make it cosmetically acceptable - but I am hesitant to remove part of the deck because I don't want to loose the ability to have someone sit on the deck - and I don't want to weaken the bottom of the boat. So, any advice from someone who has made this repair, or has re-built a boat will be appreciated.

While I'm in there I may as well replace some of the old flotation - I have lots of scrap Styrofoam (the blue stuff) that I plan on setting in with some canned foam - can I place the Styrofoam scraps anywhere, or is there some purpose of having them on the sides of the hull?
 
A port on the deck between the daggerboard slot and splashguard would work.

The foam also provides support for the deck crown, it is structural in a sense. I wouldn't mess with blocks unless boat is way over 130 pounds
 

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I'm putting off my own daggerboard trunk repairs; that said, I've noticed that the bottoms of my two Sunfish hulls aren't "perfect"—with waves and curves that shouldn't be there—so attacking the leaks from the bottom shouldn't be dismissed.

(Especially if you're fully-capable of improving such "defects").

It's been my experience that shards of fiberglass will nick you even from inside a new hull. :confused:

It's also been my experience that...

"Water Always Wins"
Click to expand...

:p
 
I've decided at least for now to put in a large inspection plate on the fwd facing bulkhead. I'll have that + the topside inspection port to give access. And plan on wearing gloves and a long sleeve shirt and at that will probably be bloody after!
 
I have done this repair and I accessed the center board case from the cockpit with two 6 inch inspection ports on each side of the case. Make the repair if possible before installing the the ports and this will give you a larger opening.
Re-fiberglassing with epoxy resin will make a strong job. Use gravity as your friend while doing the fix and by this I mean hang boat on each side and also in normal sailing position. Gravity is your friend and tool when you get the hull in the correct position.
I advise against using caned foam for securing foam blocks as the blocks are structural and not just for flotation so a 4 lbs structural expanding urethane foam is what is needed . Only use proper foam blocks intended for water flotation and structural.
The use of proper materials will only improve your hull and give you many more years of sailing.
As to the use of caulking for a structural issue Don't use it.
The method that I am suggesting is far less invasive and less laborious than what you thinking about and you will get better results.
I did a write up on the foam block repairs http://sailingforums.com/threads/loose-foam-block-repair-and-inspection-ports-install.26485/
Hope this helps you get started on the center board fix as it is not a real big job and can be done in one day.
Once you get the cockpit ports cut out you will be able to see how to best tackle the center board trunk.
One step at a time.

Minas man
 
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