Ariel #24

[mbd]

Nicely done Tim! Thanks for all the pics and updates. Looks like #24 has found herself an excellent new home. Looking forward to seeing your continuing progress.

BTW, not to side track things, but I'm curious: how has the topsides paint job held up? I know the PO had it done at an automotive shop. It certainly opens up a whole lot of color options over the standard marine paints.

[Tim Mertinooke]

The epoxy has set so I removed the wires that were holding the disk in place. The plan is to mix up a little more epoxy with filler and coat the disk so that it is fair with the backside of the hull. Then I will let that completely cure overnight. In the morning I'll remove the amine blush, sand the area fair, then prep, and finally begin laminating. I figure there will be close to fifteen layers of glass to bring it close to flush with the outside of the hull. Then I'll put a nice thin smooth coating of epoxy with filler to cap it off. Then bottom paint and I'll be done with this keel bulge thing.

[Tim Mertinooke]

I coated the disk with a thin layer of thickened epoxy, then faired as well as I could. With it being on a vertical surface fairing was a little difficult. I imagine there will be a small amount of light sanding with my random orbital tomorrow once the epoxy has cured. This will create that nice surface flush with the backside of the keel that the future laminate gets adhered too. Plus the area is now sealed off which feels good. Hull for A-24 is regaining its integrity!

[frank durant]

Looks GREAT !! Thank you!! I have put off a restoration of my electra too long..it will happen this year. I have a long hole in the keel and your idea is much better and simpler than what I had planned.These sites really are trully valueable to all who use them. Thanks for sharing...keep up the great pics and work

[Tim Mertinooke]

Frank the idea was Don Casey's. He gives a detailed step-by-step procedure about how to fill a hole like this without inside access. When I read it it made perfect sense so I decided that was the road I was taking. The book is Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair. The repair is coming along nicely and so far I am happy with the results. I had half a mind to begin laying up some glass tonight, but I don't want to generate too much heat from the exothermic reaction curing epoxy creates.

BTW- This is a question for those who have laminated with epoxy. I decided to use cloth to laminate all of the layers for my repair due to the fact that I have seen other repairs done this way, I have a published source stating that this works, and it is what I have on hand. How many layers can I get away with laminating at a time so that there is not too much heat generated. Four? Ten? More?

[frank durant]

I've done 7 with no problems using West Epoxy and cloth. I don't know at what point it goes "tilt" ??

[Hull376]

Tim, Bill, ebb,

I never "dug" into the floor of the outboard well, and was going to take a peek by drilling a couple of holes through which I could remove any wet foam. These posts seem to indicate that its about a 100% certaintly that there is water under the outboard well floor, and that there is a high probability that the bulkhead was tabbed quickly and without much attention to detail. So that means that I'll probably wind up demolishing the whole floor, sealing the bulkhead all the way around, as ebb recommends, and then deciding whether or not to put in another floor. And what was the point of the outboard well floor? Was it needed to allow the outboard well to have a self draining system (that hole). Am I on track here with what you guys are saying?

Also, can I do this with the boat in the water? Any risk of water coming up through the bottom with the floor removed (I can't see how unless the hull has a hole in it! But then me with a blunt instrument and a hammer in my hand so close to the hull laminate sounds like a disaster waiting to happen---- abandon ship!!! she's been holed!!! where's that Dutch Kid when you need him???).

[Bill]

And what was the point of the outboard well floor? ... Any risk of water coming up through the bottom with the floor removed

Without a floor, water will collect in the open space with no where to go, but maybe into the bilge if there is an opening. The floor also provides a level area for the fuel tank and storing the ob. Search for other discussions on the ob well.

[Tim Mertinooke]

I sanded the area this morning and made a nice spoon in the thickened epoxy that I smeared on last night. I tried to make the chamfer consistent from the center to the outside perimeter. It's now ready for the laminate and epoxy.






Then I cut out the fiberglass pieces that would be laminated. I will laminate the largest piece first following by successively smaller pieces. Then it will be coated with thickened epoxy.

[Tim Mertinooke]

After prepping the area, I coated it with epoxy and placed the first saturated piece of laminate on. I then applied three more layers. I decided to do four layers at a time as I have not laminated with epoxy before and I don't want it to "cook" which would weaken it. The only problem I had, and it really wasn't a problem, was the layers were trying to slide (very, very slowly) down the vertical repair. I just kept rolling and spreading until it stayed in place on its own (10 minutes.)





In a couple hours I'll laminate four more layers.

[Tim Mertinooke]

In total I applied 16 layers of fiberglass. The reason for the high number of layers is that I decided to use the 3oz. cloth I had on hand. Perhaps not the best choice of cloth and it was time consuming, but the repair integrity will be good. In fact, I am willing to bet that part of the hull is the strongest part of the hull. The area is pretty fair, but once the last few layers kick I'll smear on a thin thickened epoxy coat. This will be allowed to cure overnight, then I'll remove the amine blush, sand, fair with one last thin coat of epoxy, sand smooth, paint, then I'll be done!


16 layers of fiberglass reinforced epoxy.

[Tim Mertinooke]

I coated the repair with a thin layer of thickened epoxy to make it fair. It required only a little which is satisfying. Tomorrow I'll sand, see how fair it is overall. If it needs one more thin coat and sanding it will get it, if not I'll be done!

[Tim Mertinooke]

I removed the amine blush this morning, sanded the area smooth and then put the last sheen of thickened epoxy to fair it perfectly smooth. Once it cures I'll rough the area up a little then slap on the red bottom paint. How long does one need to wait before the repair can be painted?





Look at that!

[frank durant]

NICE work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CapnK]

Great work and execution, Tim. Yer boat, she's happy.

Re: glassing the rudder - the local shrimp boat captains might have a technique which you should ponder. When their old wooden hulls get glassed, they do it this way, which, since it works good for working vessels of indeterminate age which get not a lot of attention so long as they float, should be a good option for us recreational boaters:

Apply 3M 5200 to the wood with a trowel, smoothing it out to have an even coating.

Smoosh a layer of cloth into the 5200, wetting it out fairly well and evenly. I imagine that you'd want to take the time/effort to make it nice and even as possible.

Once that layer is applied all over, poly/vinyl/epoxy in a normal manner over top of the now-glass-reinforced 5200.

The 5200 will bond with the resin well, while allowing for some flex and/or expansion in the wooden substrate.

I think it might also be effective at sealing off all the little crevices where water would otherwise try to get around and under a stiff layer of FRP.

As far as I know, this treatment does not need a completely dry wood underneath it to be effective - shrimpers cannot afford to leave their boats on the hard for months waiting for complete drying. If you have any questions, I will go and pose them to the boatyard which does this job to see what they have to say about it.

My internet access is, at best, intermittent of late, so don't despair if you ask and the answer is slow in coming - I am at the whim of the 802.11b/g Gods,.

Keep up the good work!