Hole & Cracks in Cockpit wall-floor? From bad bunk? How to fix?

Petrel

Petrel

Member
I went to uncover and clean up my SF and saw that there was a ~ 3" puncture on the port side of the cockpit wall close to the floor. (I will attempt to post images.)
It seems that the culprit was a bunk with almost no cushioning, so that the sharp edge of an on-edge wooden bunk made the hole. The trailer was a temporary one, but I never should have used it without checking the bunks and probably putting a new contoured support on it. Costly screw up, but maybe the prolonged 2010 heatwave gummed up my brain.
For some reason, the exterior/hull doesn't have a hole (and I don't think a crack). My helper has a tendancy to lash boats very tightly, and this might have made things worse (or saved them from getting worse); I don't know.

It appears that there are some fine cracks radiating up and downward (to the floor of the cockpit) from the gash and the gash is tented up a little bit (cause of gash was beneath the cockpit).

I've looked around the archives and web. I looked at the video for West Systems repair of an inaccessible hole, but it doesn't address how to fix a hole on a curve. I'd be grateful for some ideas on how to fix this as I am very eager to sail my SF. I only sail recreationally. The hull seems dry and last year was always dry. I have no deck plates or access holes in the hull (I wouldn't be able to reach that area anyway, just wanted to mention that it is a dry hull. I don't have a place to work inside or even in the shade (I may have to hook up a tarp and move boat to that area, or find a canopy -- or make room in the garage.

I am half tempted to put something like duct tape (nah) or Marinetex on/over/in it and fix it when it is cooler. That way I could sail it this summer. I have another small trailer that I will probably fix up to use. That has bunk boards on ?edge, and maybe I can replace the bunk carpet after putting dense foam under the carpeting for cushioning (like pool noodle type foam from an exercise mat -- not the rubbery foam, but the pool noodle type). I can then save up for some brackets to hold contoured bunk/s.

Thanks for any ideas. My heart sunk when I saw my 'baby' was smashed up. (I haven't posted for ages, so will try to upload images from my disk.)

P1011813-2010-07-14 Red trlr bunk thin carpet caused damage INTERIOR cockpit SF sz ed-1.jpg
P1011810-2011-07-14 SF cockpit bash sztx copy.jpg
P1011811-2011-07-14 SF cockpit wall-floor cracks-hole puncture sztx copy.jpg
 
I just posted this week on the same subject bunk damage see 'grounding reveals winter damage'. Could it be winter snow load that did this?

><> Minas man <><
 
Hello and thank you minas man.
Good point. It could have been the snow load and I will keep that in mind. Who knew? Would the snow load do that if the bunk had enough cushioning and or carpet on it? Was it you or a previous post from Wayne that said or suggested that some places on the hull are not idea for locating bunks?

I had read your post and saw your photos (also wanted to ask you what the laminating cutting tool and the 45 degree grinding bit look like), but I still need to figure out how to fix that gash as it looks like there might be cracks into the floor, so it's at an angle. Do it fix ONE side, THEN the other (floor)? Is it one of those situations where I will need to surgically open up the gash, make it bigger, then use all the layers? How to address the "corner?" I'm a bit chicken to make the hole larger.... I have some polyester resin, some epoxy resin, some ? 5 or 6 oz cloth, some 9 oz. glass "tape" cloth, some fiberglass matting, but NO woven roving. I've got a drill and a saber/jig saw and some blades for metal/fg, but I don't have a lot of room between the cockpit floor and the top of the hull in the interspace (do I?) since it's on a 'corner.'

I'm wondering if I could fix it with (white or grey) Marine-Tex. Then after it cures (?time), hoist the sail. Going to be very hot tomorrow, but with a breeze. The thing about that slap dash fix is this: will it be a bear to remove the Marine-Tex later if I want to have a proper or nicer looking patch or it it doesn't work?

I guess I could sell :rolleyes: and buy another hull. I also looked around the forum for other repairs (Nightsailor's SCUD repair and great photos) and some others, but I didn't see a gash on the corner of the cockpit. I'll keep looking.

Who votes for a Marine-Tex bandaid until the end of October?
 
I doubt your theory because the outside of the hull shows no damage.
To me, it looks like there was an impact of some sort that originated from the cockpit side. Did a lot of water accumulate in the cockpit that later froze?
 
You could be right, Wavedancer. The photos seem to suggest that because they are only two dimensional. The cracked hole is pushed inward towards the cockpit a bit and lies right over the 2" edge of the bunk. I just went out to look at it and under it again. There doesn't seem to be any crack on the hull/water side. Unfortunately :( while looking around the cockpit, I noticed the the corresponding place on the starboard side has a similar crack/smash -- again, domed in towards the cockpit/footwell and exactly over the same part of the bunk board.

I must winter the SF outside and so Imake a wooden lattice to support a tarp and secure the tarp. I also leave the cockpit plug out (but I know that with any ice, it would be unlikely to drain). There was no water in the cockpit and no sign of holes or wear in the tarp (which coveres the entire top of the boat, down to the sides, and it then secured.

I will fix up a trailer with simple bunks and try to make them contoured to the hull shape and fit them perpendicular to the long axis of the hull.

My problem right now is how to best mend the holes and it looks as though I will need to do a fiberglass patch on both sides of the cockpit. Wish it were not 90 degrees here. Thanks again for your feedback.
 
Petrel said:
I'm wondering if I could fix it with (white or grey) Marine-Tex. Then after it cures (?time), hoist the sail. Going to be very hot tomorrow, but with a breeze. The thing about that slap dash fix is this: will it be a bear to remove the Marine-Tex later if I want to have a proper or nicer looking patch or it it doesn't work?

Who votes for a Marine-Tex bandaid until the end of October?
Click to expand...

For a temporary fix, I vote for ductape!
 
Just read your other posting on the day sailor and the no action on the pending sunfish repair. I think you just need to start the repair by removing the damaged gelcoat, and it will be evident what the best course of action should be once you begin the first step.

><> Minas Man <><
 
I had almost the exact same crack in my cockpit. I just treated it like a hull repair and ground out the damaged fiberglass and laid a layer of new glass over it.
 
Thanks, Minas Man and Geophizz.

We've been tied up scraping and painting house and dodging heavy rain when the weather isn't for painting, so I haven't yet peeled back the tarp to work on it. I appreciate that you are both right. I have so see what I've got, then will probably have to add some cloth. I'm reluctant because I loved how perfect the cockpit was and was thinking that I'd want it to look pristine after a repair. I marvel at the skill of those who can make repairs invisble.

After the last time out (in another sailboat), I ended up with a wild case of back and leg pain (even though I used a foam cushion :eek: Maybe I'll install a "memory foam" bench cushion;) (unlikely to work and imagine the sog factor). I was out for over three hours in a small sailing dinghy and was rocking to and fro for balance. Time to refit myself with a new universal joint.
 
Good point. I'll have to go aftermarket or a salvage yard, then to Brazil for the retrofit.
First I have to dig enough clams to save up. Mick Jagger has more butt muscle than I do.
 
Petrel said:
For some reason, the exterior/hull doesn't have a hole (and I don't think a crack). My helper has a tendancy to lash boats very tightly, and this might have made things worse (or saved them from getting worse); I don't know.
Click to expand...

I think it's better that the boat is cinched down tightly: most trailers are built for much heavier loads than one 130-pound Sunfish. You don't want your Sunfish heading down from a bump, at the same moment your trailer is heading up! :confused:

I also think it is likely that the wooden bunk did the damage without harming the outer hull. The outer hull acted as an intermediate surface against the wooden bunk. (For example, think of using a leather mallet against two panes of glass: the second pane can fracture, but leave the first pane—which was temporarily supported—undamaged).

Along this idea:
http://i54.tinypic.com/2mzjzsz.jpg

My two (previously-owned) Sunfish have small cockpit floor "spider" fractures. Recently, it was interesting to note that those fractures would allow water to leak into the cockpit from :eek: inside :( the hull!
 
Ten months and a few heat waves later -- I "fixed" it. Not Bristol, but it doesn't leak.
I took Minas Man's tip and decided to just open it up. I used a conical dremel bit to make some valleys along all the cracks and after I removed a flake of gel coat, I could see that the wound didn't go all the way to the Moho afterall. I said goodbye to that striving-for-pretty hangup, and used what I could find -- some ugly charcoal-colored Marine-Tex. Of course the next day, I found the white Marine-Tex next to the coffee filters in the kitchen (where it belongs, oh yeah).

I went for a sail a few days ago, but despite my "check list" forgot to bring the mainsheet and ended up using some gnarly junk utility rope. No leaks, even though it looks a tad homely. Matches my garden soil covered feet.

Next up is putting in the new bailer, then fixing a bash to the hull of my Zuma (got it with the bash), then I might try to fix a hull crack (at keel) in a free Sunfish I got.

Thanks for all the encouragement and tips.
 
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