spooky sound, crack on deck

[aggiearchi]

I have a '65, in pretty good original shape (I originally thought it was a '59, but I had misread the serial number). I have sailed it a total of 5 times the last two months, after it was stored for 35 years. I was out yesterday, and caught enough wind just a few times to pick up speed and heel a little. The boat did something that it did last time, but not the first 3 times - when I heeled port, I heard a deep, continuous groan coming from the hull, between the daggerboard well and the port gunwale. There seemed to be a vibration. I backed off each time. Coincidentally or not, during the outing, a U-shaped crack formed on the deck, outlining the forward part of the daggerboard well, but offset by about 2 inches. When I looked closley, I saw two things: the deck surface on the daggerboard side of the crack was raised slightly above the other side of the crack, and it was evident that a previous crack in the exact same place had been repaired years ago, and had now failed again.

Are the noise and crack related? What caused it? How do I fix it right, and keep it from happening again? I love this boat.

 

[Porpoise2]

"...when I heeled port, I heard a deep, continuous groan coming from the hull, between the daggerboard well and the port gunwale. There seemed to be a vibration..."

The vibration was probably the daggerboard itself. When you have enough wind—as you could have the last two times only—you'll get the vibration on either tack. I get it in my catamarans at certain speeds, and usually while on a broad reach, when it is lightly loaded. It will go away if you raise the board some.

It means you're doing good.

"...Coincidentally or not, during the outing, a U-shaped crack formed on the deck..."

Just a guess, but the previous damage appears to have been caused by the daggerboard hitting something solid, damaging the deck—and maybe the hull, too.

Using the daggerboard and mast as levers simultaneously, you might be able to realign the edges for a repair. I wouldn't over-reinforce the repair on the deck, as I'd rather fix decks than hulls should it happen again.

Maybe drive your car's tire over the very tip of the daggerboard to hold that firmly, use helpers at bow and stern, and pull on the mast with a rope. Or if alone, two trees growing 13-feet apart and two cable-winch/come-alongs.

(My usual low-tech approach, which is sure to elicit a much more sensible method from someone else here).

 

[DanB]

Can you place a few photos here showing what it looks like now out of the water? Sounds like the dagger board deck flange broke in the past and was only cosmetically repaired from the topside. You need an inspection port between the daggerboard slot and the coaming. With that installed - or at least the hole cut you can assess the internal damage. I will venture you need too fiberglass the underside of the deck at the dagger board trunk junction.

 

[aggiearchi]

Thanks. I'll try to get photos this weekend.