mast step funk, fiberglass repair help please

[catfeesh]

Hi all - I'm rebuilding an old '75 laser, and noticed that while my mast step holds water, it looks kindof chewed up like the gel coat is blistering. I'm wondering if this type of wear will eventually lead to a leak.
Is this repair worthy, or is there some kind of anti friction tubing I can use in there?

I've also started repairing a nice crack, which is just forward of the mast on the bottom of the hull. I've filled in the crack with 3M 5200 from the outside, and would like to put an inspection port on the deck and fiberglass the damage from the inside.
I've never used fiberglass before, my question is whether I should use fiberglass tape, or fiberglass filler in this situation?

Thanks for the advice, this forum is amazing...I couldn't have gotten this far without it.
-Rich

 

[49208]

IMHO here's what I would do:
Mast tube - leave the inside alone right now unless there are rough/uneven surfaces..

Crack on hull - put the port in, forward of the mast step, but so that no part of the port is on the centerline (the deck is angled, so to get a flat surface you need to be off centerline)

Once you have cut the hole, do all your glass work - there are plenty of threads here about how to grind and apply fiberglass (as well as Gouv's pages here - http://www.schrothfiberglass.com/LaserMaint.htm ) - I would probably take care of the mast base at the same time, it won't add much additional time/cost.

If the mast tube does have some cracks that are deeper then the gelcoat, you can wrap some fiberglass tape around the outside of the tube while you are inside the hull doing the other work.

You do want to use fiberglass mat as opposed to fiberglass filler for the crack repair - two to three layers should be fine.

I would also fill in the outside of the hull where you currently have the 5200 with either gelcoat (if you are trying to make it pretty, or thickened resin (with a filler)

 

[catfeesh]

right on, thanks!