Separated gunwale seam

[polyacanthus]

I was putting the boat away yesterday after sailing a couple times over the weekend and noticed this:

2016-07-18_04-11-09

Sorry for the bad pic but it's the gunwale seam that's separated along one side. I didn't notice this when we trailered it. It must be from our 3rd world Michigan roads.

I've never done fiberglass repair before but have worked with epoxy a lot (in smaller batches) and am quite handy. So through some searching it looks like I want West System 105, 206, and 406. Clean the joint, spread the epoxy, and clamp. Seems pretty straightforward. Anything else I should know before I jump in?

 

[lounger]

Wow! That's some serious separation. I'd reevaluate how the boat sits on the trailer, and how you have it fastened. It shouldn't do that.

Your repair sounds correct. I'd you have a dremel you could also chip out any loose filler. Be sure to clean with acetone before applying the epoxy.

 

[polyacanthus]

Upon further inspection it looks like this area was repaired before by a previous owner. It's on the original Kitty Hawk trailer with a strap directly over the supports.

I used a Makita oscillating tool with a course carbide grout removal bit which made quick work of cleaning out the joint.