hit submerged tree, hull damage, need help!

[trails]

Just when I thought it was clear sailing....

We hit a large submerged object at a pretty decent clip. We have hit a LOT of things as did the previous owner of the boat. The daggerboard smashed up into the rear of the opening where it slides into. I thought all was well. And then after we pulled her from the water, she leaked and leaked and leaked a river. You can actually HEAR water sloshing in the hull when you move her around.

I will take a pic in the morning. It is dark now.

I need to repair this, but I am worried I have to let it dry out for months as the KB info talks about. We live in a desert climate with temps reaching into the 100s by the afternoon. Will she dry in a couple of days? Without making more holes to allow more air in there?

Thanks for your help!
Michelle

 

[surfski]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

Take a deep breath and the drain plug out ! the water sloshing about will drain(boat on edge with drain plug down) out way before it will penetrate the floatation. Now off to bed with you and we can see the damage when you post the pics.

 

[trails]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

wait, what is the drain plug? There is the drain at the bottom of the cockpit, but that goes from underside of boat to topside, not exposing the interior.
There is no other drain plug on my boat. it is a '71.

 

[surfski]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

This may be one for Wayne , yet i believe you should have on the starboard deck alongside the cockpit a nickle size slotted drain plug (brass). there is likely some variations over the years as to location and material of this plug and I defer to the wisdom of the forum elders !

 

[trails]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

Thanks Surfshi,
I dont seem to have a drain plug, just the bailer in the cockpit, nothing else on the rest of the boat. After reading more I am hopeful that since this was the first water taken in for years and years, and living in the desert, maybe I can fix this over the weekend and be out again next week. Cross your fingers! And thank you so much for your help!!

 

[trails]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

I found it! Thank you so much surfski! I found it, pulled it, and put the fish on her side. She is still draining. wow. how could a small crack take in THAT much water?

 

[Wayne]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

Wait, what is the drain plug? ​

Even though you already discovered it, the doggone thing is so obscure I’m posting a picture for those folks who find this thread in the future.

.

 

[Wavedancer]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!


Once again, thanks Wayne.

Michelle: You will need to balance the hull just right to get most of the free water out. But you won't get the last few drops (actually more like a quarter cup or so), unless you invent a sucking device (bent straw?).

 

[Geophizz]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

You probably have a crack in your daggerboard trunk that is letting in the water. I just repaired one there myself. First, flip the boat upside down and carefully look at the back end of the daggerboard trunk. You'll probably see a crack or a hole somewhere around there. You might have to hunt for it, but from what you describe it sounds like it would be pretty obvious.

Next, you will have to figure out the best way to access the area of the damage. I cut two 4" inspection ports in the front of my cockpit, thinking that I could work with two hands in there. It didn't work, mostly because I couldn't reach through both of them simultaneously as I originally had planned. I'm not sure how well a single larger hole would work. Any suggestions from other forum members here would be helpful.

Once you have access, you'll have to grind or sand out the damaged fiberglass and lay a layer or two of new glass over the hole. I've posted a video from a Laser Performance boat repair seminar at http://www.vimeo.com/2299590, which gives a really good explanation of the repair process, including what types of resins and fiberglass to use.

When I did mine, I found that the original glass had been laid poorly around the daggerboard trunk, so I had to do a lot of grinding to get it right. I laid 2 layers of glass, which is a little tough to do when you can't see what you're doing. I'd recommend doing one layer then letting it cure for at least a half day before doing the second layer. My repair job looks a bit sloppy, mostly because I rushed the second layer while the first was still slippery. Then I poured the leftover resin around the bottom of the daggerboard trunk, thinking that it would fill any remaining gaps or holes. Probably not the best idea. I also put a layer of Marine-Tex on the outside of the boat in the daggerboard trunk, because I couldn't figure out a way to get fiberglass in there.

So far I've been out about 6 times on the repaired boat, including running into rocks twice with the daggerboard and the boat has stayed dry as a bone.

 

[trails]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

Wow! I really appreciate everyones' help here!

Geophizz: You are right, there is a crack in the daggerboard trunk. Luckily it is fairly close to the bottom end of the boat. Can I just lay some fiberglass over it to seal the crack and be good to go??? I do NOT care about looks or even about making the boat fast. I just dont want to ruin it with water or sink!

Here are the pics of the damage. The crack is so small--I put a bic pen next to it to show how small. It only goes about 3 inches up into the trunk. Again, do you think I can just seal this with epoxy or some fiberglass and be done with it, or do I need to grind it all down in there and start from scratch?

thank you all for all your help!

 

[Geophizz]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

Your pics look just like the crack in my boat. It's probably about 5-6 inches in length, and damaged/delaminated fiberglass will extend out about 1/3 to 1/2 inch outside of the crack itself. You'll definitely need to get at it from the inside, sand away the damaged glass, then glass over the resulting hole. Tonight when I get home I'll post pictures from my repair so you can see what I'm talking about.

 

[Repete]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

You will need to roughen up the fiberglass in the daggerboard slot. Something like a 40 grit or 24 grit will work to remove some of the gelcoat and expose the original fiberglass. You can wrap a broom stick or pvc pipe to create a sanding stick that will fit into the slot. I have even used my dremel to to where I can reach. Wayne's choptick method of applying pre wetted (unthickened epoxy) fiberglass mat and build up a layer to mask over the small crack and create some needed structure with the surrounding area. Make sure you also wet the original exposed fiberglass to ensure a good mechanical bond. The epoxy and glass will turn clear and since it is all in the slot you do not have to finish it with color. After an hour of curing, you can lay a sheet of wax paper over the repair and press the gel state of the epoxy to a smooth finish and leave the wax paper there till after it cures. This area is completely submerged when you are in the water. I would do a leak test after you seal and cure the repair here. It seems small, but it will create larger problems with your hull if not fixed water tight. Best of luck.

 

[Wayne]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

The crack is so small--I put a bic pen next to it to show how small. It only goes about 3 inches up into the trunk.

Can I just lay some fiberglass over it to seal the crack and be good to go???

Considering it's letting in water, that's not a small crack

I suspect what you see on the outside may also be what you find on the inside. I agree with previous posts, this level of damage needs more than just a Band-Aid covering.

Until the next encounter with The Creature from the Black Lagoon, you might get away widening the crack and filling with a mix of resin (your choice) and chopped glass fibers. But I think that would not be as strong as it could be.

I would also install an access port in the foot well's front wall and lay reinforcing fabric over the internal breech..., maybe even wrap a couple of layers around the whole base of the trunk.

I do NOT care about looks or even about making the boat fast. I just dont want to ruin it with water or sink!

The boat won't sink so long as the internal flotation foam is intact. I would, however, chip out all the broken gelcoat at the damaged end of the slot, inspect for more broken structural fiberglass, repair structure if needed, and finish with gelcoat paste. As it stands, the integrity of that area is questionable.

.

 

[Geophizz]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

Here's my version of the crack and what I did to repair it.

Crack as seen from outside

Access Holes cut in cockpit wall

Showing sloppy original glass installation, crack is visible at top

Ground out glass, ready for new glass (Inside View)

Ground out glass (Exterior view)

Final Repair

Marine Tex applied to exterior of repair

 

[trails]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

Well,
I decided to bring the boat into the boat doctor. Someone else is going to do the work for me. And I bought a new boat so I can sail in the meantime. YAY!!!

 

[Wayne]

Re: hit submurged tree, hull damage, need help!

Well,
I decided to bring the boat into the boat doctor. Someone else is going to do the work for me. And I bought a new boat so I can sail in the meantime. YAY!!!

Now that's a creative solution ...

... New Boat ...

Congrats . . .​

.

 

[58984 EW]

Funny thing. This kind of damage used to be common to anyone who sailed a Sunfish. But with the "new" plastic boards that everyone uses for racing (I am a racer), I haven't seen this happen in decades.

Just yesterday I was telling someone who had been away from the boat for years that the plastic boards are great, except that they tend to break in half if you hit a rock, or other submerged object at anything faster than ghosting along.

The wooden boards are much stronger and won't break, but something else has to give. I never thought of the board as a shear pin, but in this case a plastic board would have saved your boat.

 

[trails]

Really? The plastic board will break without breaking the boat? Will a plastic daggerboard fit an older boat DB trunk? My "new" boat is an '81. will a plastic DB fit it?
You guys rock!

 

[Wayne]

Really? The plastic board will break without breaking the boat? Will a plastic daggerboard fit an older boat DB trunk? My "new" boat is an '81. will a plastic DB fit it?
You guys rock!

Yes, the plastic daggerboard will fit an older boat.

How much was the quote for fixing the daggerboard trunk?

The composite daggerboard sells for $260.


.

 

[58984 EW]

I didn't mean to say that anyone should buy a composite board so that this doesn't happen to them. Just something to consider if you need a new board and/or want to race the boat.

 

[Wavedancer]

I didn't mean to say that anyone should buy a composite board so that this doesn't happen to them. Just something to consider if you need a new board and/or want to race the boat.

This thread is taking an unexpected turn...

Just be aware that the (polyurethane) foam boards are on their way out, AFAIK. I don't know how many are still with the dealers or the company. The new boards (see the Worlds thread) are different and are not supposed to break or chip quite so readily.
Deja vu all over again?