Thanks 'flow - I sure will post some pics in the light of day tomorrow. The area around one of the "injuries" to the hull was springy/soft to the touch. Is that a bad sign?It's fiberglass it can be repaired, glass is easy to work with. Take some pictures of the damaged spots so the experts on the site can take a look.
Did that, all the water is out but it still weighs like 300 lbs.I don’t like that port between the mast hole and the halyard cleat, but since it’s there I’d start by unscrewing the small deck drain on the starboard deck, see if any water comes out while it’s on its side. Then attach a muffin fan to the open port and start drying it out while you assess repairs. It certainly looks salvageable! Do you have all the rigging?
It will probably take a while to dry out. I have one that was about 220lbs when I brought her home, after about 3 months it was down to 150, I had the fan, like the one you have, inside the hull with a 40watt light bulb in front of it blowing towards an inspection port I put in the stern. It was upside down on sawhorses with a dark green tarp on it. Like Beldar said it will eventually dry out.
Well, the deal you got on the boat is amazing although it does require some new parts. Adding another port on the stern deck will help with airflow altho it’s still probably a 3 month process. But if you are new to small boats like the Sunfish, the water will still be cold in NE in June, so having her fixed up by July will be good timing. You will likely go in the drink learning to sail it, and you will certainly get splashed a lot, so warm water is nice!3 months? I was prepared for 3 weeks - which I thought was an eternity. And this thing is WAY more than 220 lbs.
I'm not sure I have the patience to wait 3 months. Especially considering that spring-time in the NE is notoriously rainy which won't help with this process.
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Well, the deal you got on the boat is amazing although it does require some new parts. Adding another port on the stern deck will help with airflow altho it’s still probably a 3 month process. But if you are new to sailing the water will still be cold in NE in June, so having her fixed up by July will be good timing. You will go in the drink learning to sail, so warm water is nice!
That's hard to say, where on the boat is that located? If it's in a spot that an inspection port could be located, then you'd want the hole to conform to the size of the port, if not you'd want it as small as possible to put a backing plate behind and fix the hole. Search out some threads on hull repairs to get ideas on how to go about your repair options.
You need to do a low pressure leak test.
The area you're describing is about opposite the (metal or plastic) drain in the hull? There's likely not enough "empty space" between the hull and the floor to justify making a larger hole there. (But there IS empty space).
Older hulls tend to flex: introduce a crack, and it'll be worse. I'm hoping the softness you've noted isn't of the "crunchy" variety.
In a sense, you're lucky. A crack in the keel (just inches away) requires much more attention.
Fiberglassing kits are available which include plenty of fiberglass cloth. The downside is that they introduce you to epoxy repairs, and there's not enough epoxy resin to finish a typical small repair. It stores well, and I like epoxy, but with high demand, the prices are daunting. Plenty of repairs are accomplished using polyester resin.
You can start by sanding the area--out about 2-inches.
Yes, there's sufficient room, but you need to move a lot of air to dry out the Styrofoam. Make a big cut to exhaust the moisture-laden air.
We were introduced to the Shoreline method back when member Whitecap started with his epic thread:
Starting at the BEGINNING
Hey folks, First, let me introduce myself and say thank you, to all that have contributed so much to this site. It is truly a treasure trove of knowledge here - THANK YOU! My name is Whitecap, and I live on a lake near Fort Worth Texas. For the past few months I have been reading as much...sailingforums.com
I'm still using West Systems epoxy resin (one gallon) I bought 15 years ago! It's found many other uses around the house.
To get started, get this kit:
West System Handy Repair Pack | Wholesale Marine
West System Handy Repair Pack has all you need to make small repairs. Shop Wholesale Marine for all your maintenance and repair needs at everyday low prices.www.wholesalemarine.com
My kit came with "flux" brushes, which adequately spread the resin on small repairs, and are handy to "stab" at the bubbles as they form. A roller is nice, but costly.
You'll very likely need more resin. At that time, I'd suggest buying the slowest catalyst to allow more setup time.
I've used battens from two different boat sails. Optimist-class sails have flat battens, which is what you want. Catamarans have large numbers of battens, but only the older cats have flat battens. Others have cross-sections of a diamond shape--and unsuitable. They're made to be light in weight, so strength isnt a factor. Some are a "bendy" sandwich with a Styrofoam interior.
For the budget-minded, you could use yardsticks instead. In a pinch, short stubs of yardsticks or paint-stirrers can be used. The idea is to keep the repair sections straight and parallel to each other.
You'll need clamps, but can substitute clothespins--available at Dollar Tree stores. I'd love to have birthday presents of clamps!
Epoxy is expensive. A gallon costs over $55, and the catalyst is extra. A pint may be all the epoxy you'll need.
You may have as many as three choices of "speed". As a beginner, the slow hardener is best to learn with, as the cloth and clamps may have to be adjusted or moved. Ambient temperature is also factor: Cooler is slower. In hot climates, even the slow hardener can "cook-off", and you can lose the batch you'd just made. (And the brush).
The guy you got it from should be asked (respectfully, of course) to 'walk the plank':Thanks for the encouragement, bel. Imma stay with it for now. The guy I got it from said that he "filled it with water to see if it leaked."
PS: Filling a Sunfish with water to see if it leaks is a really d..b thing to do!
My procedure, while close to the Shoreline technique, involves sanding relatively deeply around the marking before making the cut. When sanding, if you start to see the "roving" pattern of quarter-inch squares, stop sanding there.("Roving" is the heavily-woven fiberglass material used in the Sunfish--and the cars and boats of the fiberglass industry).
The reason is to allow room for layers of fresh repair cloth and resin to grip the edges better.
If you don't use a repair kit, three-inch fiberglass "tape" can be substituted. Lighter four-ounce tape is available (and all the rest) through Amazon.
Ventilation is recommended in using all resins.
Haha! Same brain. I did use the venetian-blind slats a time or two for a straight-edged shield while painting. I didn't realize that fiberglass resin will not stick to plastic.The venetian blinds you've hoarded are the same as those I've hoarded.They came in handy once by holding some ceiling tiles overhead while I glued some sections back in place. (Used clamps to extend two). I don't think resin will stick to them, but you can try a small sample. (Stick=good).
'Looks like you've got some real ventilation going! The rate of water loss will slow to "asymptotial-nothingness" eventually.
"Bondo" is new to the field, after decades of ridicule as "Bondo", a cheap body-filler. I haven't used it.
I've used battens from two different boat sails. Optimist-class sails have flat battens, which is what you want. Catamarans have large numbers of battens, but only the older cats have flat battens. Others have cross-sections of a diamond shape--and unsuitable. They're made to be light in weight, so strength isnt a factor. Some are a "bendy" sandwich with a Styrofoam interior.
For the budget-minded, you could use yardsticks instead. In a pinch, short stubs of yardsticks or paint-stirrers can be used. The idea is to keep the repair sections straight and parallel to each other.
You'll need clamps, but can substitute clothespins--available at Dollar Tree stores. I'd love to have birthday presents of clamps!
Epoxy is expensive. A gallon costs over $55, and the catalyst is extra. A pint may be all the epoxy you'll need.
You may have as many as three choices of "speed". As a beginner, the slow hardener is best to learn with, as the cloth and clamps may have to be adjusted or moved. Ambient temperature is also factor: Cooler is slower. In hot climates, even the slow hardener can "cook-off", and you can lose the batch you'd just made. (And the brush).
A picture of the cut appears above.Can you take a picture of what it looks like since you cut?
Can you take a picture of what it looks like since you cut? If the section is not too wide and you have good glass taper on the edges you could acetone and glass some support straps across the hole and let dry. After a light sanding and acetone you could put a layer on the hole and the straps would support. You will need several layers for the repair and strength. Layer the cloth in different directions. Tape around the hole to keep the resin off the good parts of the gelcoat to protect. You will have some filling. I use marine tex. Get it level, prime and paint.