I'll echo that West System is great stuff and well worth the cost. It's more or less the standard for both hobbyists and many professional shops. We use the slow hardener for carbon fiber composite layups, and it has about an hour-ish of working time at room temperature, we can usually remove parts from the mold about 24 hours later. If you're working outdoors this time of year or in an unheated garage, you might get a little extra working time and longer cure time. They do make an extra-slow hardener; I would avoid it. Never used it myself, but I have an experienced friend who says it takes an eternity to fully cure.
Good luck with the project, these boats are an absolute blast on the water! I know the pain of a heavy boat, I've been drying mine out all winter. I wish I would have weighed it before I started drying, but it was probably similar to yours. It's noticeably lighter now, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it handles on the water. Yours will get down to something more manageable eventually.
Checking that now, thanks for the tip!!U.S. Composits has on line ordering for retail consumers and are less expensive than any other source we researched. Good quality products and quick shipping. They carry everything you need to make fiberglass repairs. Good luck!
If you are blowing air in through a port hole, another option for more air flow than a typical computer fan is a duct booster fan, you can get them at Home Depot or similar hardware stores (or online). If I recall correctly, somehow the one I bought fits tightly in the port hole as well - maybe it was a 5" one?
Something like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-Inductor-4-in-Corded-In-Line-Duct-Fan-DB204C/206584727
You can visit our blog and youtube and search for fiberglass repairs or wet foam. Most of the info is also searchable on this site as well.
Small Boat Restoration
https://www.youtube.com/user/kentblairl
We like to get our repair supplies from Jamestown Distributors aka TotalBoat. We use epoxy resin/hardener kits.
Wooden battens are fine.
The key to Sunfish health is to fix any leak, otherwise foam, wooden backer blocks etc will absorb water.
For internal backer patches we use fiberglass woven roving, which is what the hull is made of.
If we don't reuse the fiberglass cutout we build up low spots with 4 oz fiberglass cloth, leaving the repair area a little shallow for sanding and fairing
For fairing we love TotalBoat Total Fair. Bondo will absorb water.
Gelcoat is what protects the fiberglass, but we are not smart on gelcoat. Small spot repair kits are available. We paint, either spray with rattle can Rust-Oleum Satin white or roll and tip one part marine polyurethane paint, WetEdge, Brightside, EZpoxy, or Kirby oil.
Don't overthink the paint on the bottom, as the boat will most likely be a Beach Banger (Glos, 2011).
An air leak test should be done ASAP, so that you can repair all leak areas while the repair materials are handy. Get the boat watertight first then shift to making it purty.
For a rear port, some Styrofoam flotation has to pulled out and discarded. I wouldn't install a rear port unless it's necessary for gudgeon access. Sizes may be listed, but I'd use the actual port as a template, because sizes can vary, due to proprietary dimensions.
For more effective hull ventilation, I'd get a bigger muffin fan and duct it with cardboard, aluminum roofing "valley-flashing" ($10), or just lots of duct tape(Also written, "duck tape"). That new cutout has enough surface area to work just fine with a four-inch muffin fan ($12).
Wind gusts may occasionally overpower the fan, but won't hurt it, either.
Thank you very much, Kent. All of this invaluable information has been transferred to my permanent guide files.As for Bondo putty, it is water "resistant" just like the closed cell foam inside the Sunfish/Sailfish. Over time the foam or putty will absorb water. I've read that bondo putty will flake off over time, so we've avoided using it.
Fairing compounds are softer and easier to sand than epoxy resins or polyester resins. We use TotalFair or Pettit EZFair. Either type resin is fine for a repair, the boat was built with poly resin/hardener and poly is usually cheaper. Epoxy resins are not as smelly and you'll find them at most marine stores, online etc, we like using thickened epoxy or even thickened flexible epoxy as it sticks well and doesn't run during the early stages of curing, plus the thickened resin can be piled up a bit along with layers of fiberglass cloth. It takes a little more patience to wet out cloth with thickened resin but we have done it many times. A lot of marine stores sell through Amazon now so supplies can usually show up in a day or two. IF you end up using the TotalBoat line and create an account, you can try our Ambassador Code SMALLBOATS to save around 10-15% on TotalBoat products.
We use all brands of paint, especially free THIXO Flex that Jamestown Distributors sends us
How do we choose?
1. We pick the color paint and brand we want first.
2. Then we choose primer and fairing compound that is either from the same product line or THAT WE KNOW is compatible with the paint. Sea Foam Green is one example, many folks sell it but our favorite Sea Foam Green is sold by Pettit.
3. Rust-Oleum sells a marine paint in a can, Topside, that can be found at some Lowes. It's a good looking paint but has not lasted as long as Pettit, Interlux, WetEdge, Kirby. Valspar also has an oil based enamel, Ultra 4000, which could be mixed to many colors.
We've mixed and matched brands but only after checking with the Jamestown Distributors Tech Team.
As for the fiberglass Super Sailfish MKII, that Serial No. matches up to 1964. The advertising material says 98 pounds, but we've found those numbers to be very optimistic. Water is 8.35 pounds per gallon, so that boat has something hiding inside somewhere. The fiberglass from those years is bomb proof, but the daggerboards are too short. The Sailfish is a fun, wet boat, "the boat you learn to swim on."
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You've mentioned no power a couple times - can you run an extension cord? I think a fan (increased airflow) will greatly increase your boat's weight loss program...
Nice job of ducting! (And I own three of those same heaters--two are branded Pelonis). If the water weight is rearward, consider ducting the fan through your new cut. Air movement is key to moving moisture.
Yours is much easier job than getting my 20-foot O'Day Mariner dried out. I got it for free, but could hardly move it!
I've also got 100-foot extension cords, which I hang from hooks and overhead branches to avoid a trip-hazard. I'd use my $1 solar fan under a glass cover, but it's too small to move much air. The $14 ducted kitchen fan at Home Depot would be ideal.
You could put in a 6-inch rear port, and pull out all the wet Styrofoam. I did that with my old Porpoise II. It can be replaced (to advantage) with the durable Pond and Stone expanding foam by Great Stuff.
No Bondo, it holds water. Marine Tex is OK, but gel is better.Yep, pic above. Whatcha think?
Is Marine Tex a final/skim coat? I've seen YT vids where guys use Bondo to fill leftover "pinholes" after the fiberglass process. Same or similar?
Gelcoating larger areas is not for 'beginners' unless you have a specialist to apply it for you.No Bondo, it holds water. Marine Tex is OK, but gel is better.
Me either! A little Saran Wrap over the repair, then smooth out over the Saran when partially cured. Sanding isn’t bad at allNever had a problem sanding MarineTex surfaces.
I think that's what I need to do.
The inspection hatches come in 4, 6 and 8 inches on Amazon. Since I don't have the hatch yet, I'll cut the hole 1/2" smaller and finish it when the part arrives.
Sound good?
And then pull out ALL of the foam back there? How much Pond and Stone expanding foam by Great Stuff will I need? One or 2 cans? That "stuff" goes a long way.
Use a jigsaw for the round cut, correct? (I have a lot of questions but I may do this as soon as today or tomrrow).
Even with an 8-inch port, you won't be able to reach all the soggy Styrofoam back there, but hopefully to make a big difference. I'd leave any dry (white) Styrofoam in place. It's a messy operation, so have a garbage bag handy.I think that's what I need to do.
The inspection hatches come in 4, 6 and 8 inches on Amazon. Since I don't have the hatch yet, I'll cut the hole 1/2" smaller and finish it when the part arrives.
Sound good?
And then pull out ALL of the foam back there? How much Pond and Stone expanding foam by Great Stuff will I need? One or 2 cans? That "stuff" goes a long way.
Use a jigsaw for the round cut, correct? (I have a lot of questions but I may do this as soon as today or tomrrow).
Thank you so much @LVW for the detailed explanation - I'm digesting every word and I really appreciate having your guidance.Pond & Stone comes with a 8-inch "application straw". Use it to apply the product above and below any structural foam that is "working" for you. This foam product will attach itself to everything (including skin) but the manufacturer assures the user that it will wear off skin eventually.
The edges of the hole should be covered with tape to prevent a very annoying rash from tiny glass fibers.
After spraying about half one can's weight, observe how the foam is spreading. Apply more in the "weaker" direction as needed. It does seem to have a mind of its own... You may need to know when to run away!
The "straw" and the remaining contents can be used a bit later, but it's very sensitive to time/ temperature during storage. I use a narrow bamboo "kebob grilling skewer" to clear the straw of obstructing foam. ('Generous set for $1.25 at Dollar Tree).
You’re welcome, and you’re right, this forum is outstanding- friendly people and loaded with valuable information and resources. I gotta say, I’m on a couple of Facebook groups that are NOT the same!-THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Awesome info, thanks @LVW !!Here's a suggestion for replacing fiberglass battens with something better. Over a plastic sheet, stretch and tape the tip-ends of three inch (by ~18") sections of fiberglass tape (or cloth) alongside your cuts.
Pre-cut the four cloth sections. Apply resin to the cloth, add another layer of cloth and resin. Remove bubbles.
Let it cure and cut off the non-impregnated tips. With your grinder, roughen the upper side (the upside), coat with resin, and clamp where the batten was to go. It will approximate the curve of the repair, be stronger than any batten, and gain a beginner some experience using resin, cloth/tape, and a brush/roller.
Regular "Great Stuff" is white. Black "Pond and Stone" is designed to construct outdoor garden ponds. For days, I've pressed leftover "Pond and Stone" foam under water, with absolutely no increase in moisture content or weight. Cup-shaped scraps will "bead" water.
As Beldar points out, the entire hull is not full of foam. There are six 2 inch wide XPS foam blocks and just enough, in theory, marine grade adhesive foam to hold those six blocks in place. Your Boats Mileage May Vary (YBMMV).
Great Stuff is not "marine grade" but for that matter neither are the factory XPS blocks or any two part expanding marine adhesive/flotation foam. Any of these materials will absorb water over extended time. So our focus is in fixing leaks, keeping them fixed and making sure there is no water inside a hull when it is stored.
I doubt you'll go this direction, but the factory repair for wet foam in 1960-1987 boats would be to split the deck/hull seam, then remove and replace the foam. It's intrusive and labor intensive. We do not replace the white YXP foam block, as it is impossible to find economically, but the yellow foam has several supply sources and varieties.
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There is also an art to how much of the deck edge seam can be split and how much deck can be lifted.
-Never split the entire seam, as it is very hard to align the seam during reassembly. Leave the sam alongside the cockpit edge intact.
-Do not cut away the seams for the mast step, trunk or cockpit.
-A deck plate between the coaming and daggerboard trunk is a good access point to inspect the innards and sponge out small amounts of water.
-There are over 30 designed holes in the hull, plus 32 feet of deck edge seam and more cockpit tub seam, etc...
-And a vent hole, so it is impossible to keep moisture out of the inside of the hull. Have a plan to drain any excess moisture via deck drain or deck plate.
-Do not plug the hull vent, the innards can heat up an pop a seam or pop a block loose.
-Don't add a stern plug drain. It is only marginally useful and in the long run, a big hole below the waterline.
The boat above turned into this sweet Army Air Corps tribute boat, I believe it was Alex Bryan of ALCORT who was in the Army Air Corps during WWII. MERCI is her name and she was sold to an 8 year old girl, who was wearing a tutu at the time of purchase. We asked her where she was going to sail MERCI and she said "Annnnnnywhere I want."
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