Deck to Hull Joints

[wfon]

In the Spring 2004 issue of The LaserSailor, pg. 12, there's an article by Jack McVicker of Vangard Sailboats in which he discusses the repair of hull to deck joints. He describes the process of removing the cracked putty (pretty straightforward), but then finishes with, "Your local marine supply store will have putty appropriate to fill the void. Try to force the putty down into the void for a lasting repair."

Does anyone know what the "appropriate putty" is that was referred to by Jack McVicker? Is it Marine Tex? Or is it a different type of product? And are there problems with curing if you fill a deep section (such as the thick joint at the transom) all in one shot without layering?

 

[hoipolloi]

I don't think there's enough area to fill in a Lasers' hull/deck joint to cause an exothermic eruption.
MarineTex, Internationals EpiGlass or, if you really like to fiddle, get West or Mas two part epoxies and buy one of their propriety fillers.
I can't imagine Vanguard sticks their boats together with the kind of product that a two part epoxy would attack and degrade once it's fully cured.

Anybody?

 

[drLaser]

See "Repairing Laser Hull-to-Deck Joints" in the drLaser web site.

Direct URL: http://www.drlaser.org/plfHtoD.html

SG
Editor, drLaser

 

[Dave Kirkpatrick]

There are a number of appropriate things you can use to repair the hull to deck joint. Nothing is likely to eat away at the original bonding compound which, per Class Rules, is polyester.
Personally, I think West sytem epoxy is great. They have convenient mixing systems and it is pretty hard to get the mix wrong. It is also a preference born out of familiarity, as I know what I am doing with West. System 3 and MAS epoxies are also good. For a thickening agent, high density fillers work best. They are a pain in the behind to sand, but you aren't going to sand them.
Marine Tex is probably fine, but it is a pain to work with in trying to get it into the crack. You can use a syringe, but Marine Tex mixes up very thick, making it a pain to use with a syringe. It also doesn't afford you the opportunity to paint on an initial coat of unthickened epoxy to "pre-treat" the surface, ensuring a good bond. This initial coat can go on immediately preceeding the thickened stuff - you need not wait for it to dry. Marine Tex works in a pinch, but it's not the stuff to use if you have the other options available to you.
Dave
(helped Jack write the article)