Anyone know what this is? De-lamination and unusual "red" material (under cabin) inside "bilge" area

[Carl Wonderful]

Hello all.

1971 Cataline 22

I'm worried that some of this might be a really bad sign or tell me something bad about this boat I just bought a few months ago The rest of the boat looks really good for a 1971 boat...and there's no signs of any damage on the outside of the hull or under the hull. It actually looks really nice! I am in the process of taking the boat off the trailer to take the keel off soon..but all looks good outside and under the boat from what I can see.

Please don't speculate and scare me, lol, wheep..... I've put so much time, money and work into this boat already. If anyone has actual experience with any of this I'd love to hear about it to understand what I'm actually looking at. I posted the outside photos so you can see the outside of the hull.

So Ive tried finding something similar and cant get any solid info. Lots of people speculate, but I cant find anyone who can really help me understand what I'm looking at and whether the de-lamination is a serious problem or more cosmetic OR just the nature of a boat that is 55 years old. Also no idea what the red is?

The photos of the red material is from looking under the v berth opening, looking back to the aft of the boat.
The other photos are from the inside of the side berths.

1. Is this de-lamination a problem?
2. Was this something the original owner did that didn't "stick"..and its just coming apart?
3. Is the de-laminating at the connections from the original manufacturer fiberglass? Is there a reason to connect the deck to the hull inside...? Is it to just connect things to route the water that gets in..or is it actually structural?
3 What is the RED material that runs down the center or the ("bilge" area, (top of the hull), under the cabin)? (Photos are looking under the v berth, looking aft down the center of the boat)
4. Can anyone explain why some areas of fiberglass look white, others cardboard colored, others grey?


Thanks everyone!!

 

[dlochner]

What you are thinking is delamination is the tabbing separating and cracking. This is not as serious as delamination, but needs to be fixed.

The tabbing holds the parts of the boat together. A typical place to find cracked tabbing is at the base of bulkheads, which is where it appears to be from your photos. The bulkheads work to support the deck and mast, transmit rigging loads to the hull, and to keep the sides of the hull from moving towards the centerline.

The repair is pretty straightforward, tear out all the old tabbing, clean and use a degreaser, sand, and lay up a couple of layers of glass and epoxy to bond the bulkhead to the hull.

One of the best sources of information on fiberglass repair is Andy Miller's YouTube channel BoatWorksToday. Another excellent source is free technical manual on the West System Epoxy website.

 

[Steve_Catalina]

Catalina22.org the international group site for your boat. Good luck

 

[Carl Wonderful]

What you are thinking is delamination is the tabbing separating and cracking. This is not as serious as delamination, but needs to be fixed.

The tabbing holds the parts of the boat together. A typical place to find cracked tabbing is at the base of bulkheads, which is where it appears to be from your photos. The bulkheads work to support the deck and mast, transmit rigging loads to the hull, and to keep the sides of the hull from moving towards the centerline.

The repair is pretty straightforward, tear out all the old tabbing, clean and use a degreaser, sand, and lay up a couple of layers of glass and epoxy to bond the bulkhead to the hull.

One of the best sources of information on fiberglass repair is Andy Miller's YouTube channel BoatWorksToday. Another excellent source is free technical manual on the West System Epoxy website.

I didn't realize there was "tabbing"..I get it now, makes sense. Also got some good books that tell more about it all. So is the tabbing just a series of thin layers/strips of fiberglass that Catalina put in 55 years ago...and is just coming apart for some reason now? Maybe water freezing and thawing? or just old age? It wouldn't be from a very serious grounding or violent collision or something, right?

Can you explain more about the bulkheads. I hear a lot of about them, but still do not understand. On the C22 is there just 2 bulkheads, being the 2 vertical plywood boards that are in between/separate the v berth and the rest of the cabin? And they go all the way down to touch the hull and walls and are fiber glassed to everything.... Do I have this right?

Do you have any idea what all RED is that runs down the center of the boat? Very curious... Also little worried that is was something the PO did to try to fix that he tore off the bottom of the boat or something crazy!? Just paranoid about it because it seems strange.

Thanks!!!!

 

[shemandr]

Bulkheads stiffen the structure of the hull. Forgive me if I am repeating what you already know. But the raw fiberglass hull would be quite flexible after it comes out of the mold. When the deck, which is stiffened with the laminate/core structure, is attached to the hull it makes the hull much more rigid. Bulkheads add to that rigidity.
In the building process they are typically bonded to the hull before the deck is laid on because it is just easier. But the tabbing of the bulkheads is a significant structural component of the hull structure.
So you should re-tab the areas that have separated. You may think how a relatively small area of re-tabbing could be significant. I think it's because the major loads are born by the stuctural strength of the bulkheads and other components and the tabbing is just a way to anchor those components.
I have no idea about the red.
I once freaked out when I saw red color through the hull in my Ranger 29. Turns out the hull fiberglass was fairly translucent and the red I saw was the red gel coat/ paint on the hull topsides.

 

[dlochner]

didn't realize there was "tabbing"..I get it now, makes sense. Also got some good books that tell more about it all. So is the tabbing just a series of thin layers/strips of fiberglass that Catalina put in 55 years ago...and is just coming apart for some reason now?

Yes, tabbing is just 2 or 3 strips of fiberglass and resin bonding the bulkhead to the hull. Usually the strips go up about 3-4" up the bulkhead and the same down on to the hull. They might be a bit longer on some boats.

Why did the tabbing separate? It's a good question. First understand how the boat is built. The hull is laid up with resin and glass and allowed to cure. The interior is then installed and this is when the bulkheads are tabbed. Finally the deck and cabin headliner are installed. Resins have 2 types of bonding, chemical and adhesive, sometimes referred to as primary bonds and secondary bonds. Primary bonds occur when resin is initially curing as when the hull is laid up, each layer of laminate is applied before the layer before it has fully cured. The layers then bond as one structure. Secondary bonds occur when a layer of glass and resin are applied to cured resin. Primary bonds are stronger than secondary bonds. Polyester resin has strong primary bonds and weaker secondary bonds. Compared to epoxy, the primary bonds are about equal, but secondary bonds with epoxy are stronger than polyester secondary bonds. That's why epoxy is generally favored over polyester resin for repair work.

So why did the tabbing separate from the hull? Age can be a factor, it's a weak bond and eventually it just failed. Or it could have been poor surface preparation, or to little resin was applied, or the resin might have been old or poorly catalyzed. Other reasons might include improper storage on the trailer, too much hull flexing, sudden impacts from grounding, normal wear and tear from being trailered over rough roads, who knows? It is difficult to pinpoint a reason with a close inspection of the boat.

 

[colemj]

Until polyester is air-inhibited, it will still make primary chemical bonds on subsequent layups. Tabbing is usually done during this stage, so those bonds are not weaker per se. However, poor preparation or dirty work area can prevent chemical bonding.

The red thing is a mystery. The pictures don't have a lot of context or perspective, but it looks like a red length of Trex board or some similar pre-formed piece stuck in there. It doesn't look like it was formed in place as part of a layup, and I can't imagine what type of repair that would represent, or what it would do in such a repair. It also doesn't look like it was installed as a flat support in the hull vee for a subfloor to sit on.

Is it brittle and hard? Can you gouge it? Chip it? What does it taste like?

Mystery to me.

Mark

 

[Carl Wonderful]

Until polyester is air-inhibited, it will still make primary chemical bonds on subsequent layups. Tabbing is usually done during this stage, so those bonds are not weaker per se. However, poor preparation or dirty work area can prevent chemical bonding.

The red thing is a mystery. The pictures don't have a lot of context or perspective, but it looks like a red length of Trex board or some similar pre-formed piece stuck in there. It doesn't look like it was formed in place as part of a layup, and I can't imagine what type of repair that would represent, or what it would do in such a repair. It also doesn't look like it was installed as a flat support in the hull vee for a subfloor to sit on.

Is it brittle and hard? Can you gouge it? Chip it? What does it taste like?

Mystery to me.

Mark

So you think that tabbing was from the factory...55 years ago? Guess it could have been like that for a year...or 20 years huh?

Whats Trex board?

The red thing seems almost like it was poured in or something. It is about a foot wide at the widest point and probably goes 5 or 7 feet through the center of the boat. The photos are from looking down in the bow, v berth opening...and the red starts there and runs to the aft of the boat...under the cabin walkway.. It feel like very hard plastic or epoxy?. Id imagine it tastes like what I think Rumplestiltskin smels like?

 

[LakeShark]

@Carl Wonderful so @dlochner is correct in that what you're seeing is the tabbing in the hull. Like has been stated it brakes over time with trailering etc. It's actually not as structural as it would be in most boats as the Catalina 22 is built differently. That tabbing holds the inner hull liner into place. Normal boats would have a hull, some sort of ply, more glass, and then the finished inner hull. Frank Butler in his bid to build the affordable family daysailer changed the way boats were built for its day. The outer hull is relatively thin and the woven mat is what you see from the inner side with the checkered pattern on it. It is only accessed from the hatches. The hull liner then goes in place, is tabbed down, and the top deck is placed on the boat. During your build year Catalina was pumping out almost 100 boats a week if I remember correctly. Because of this there are lots of variations in resin, and tabbing attachment in hulls. If your liner is starting to flex too much then do as other have said. Mix a bit of epoxy and stiffen the tabbing back up. Not too difficult of a job if you dont mind being messy.

Now onto the red stuff. It appears as though someone added some filler or epoxy at some point. Could have been to stiffen the liner floor or who knows. It's really not an issue as it's not a structural component. just an oddity.

Now as for the Bulkheads. The C22 bullkheads are not tabbed into the fiberglass at all like a normal off shore boat would be. They are attached with screws to the liner and the liner is bolstered underneath toward the hull in places. Bulkheads are a common place of rot unfortunately but since they are not glassed into place on your boat there easy to remove, cut new ones, and reinstall should the time ever arise. There are numerous threads on this forum about replacing them.

In the end you may be scaring yourself looking for issues where they dont exist. In your hull year the hulls were thinner, the boats more flexible, and faster. Racers today seek out hull numbers in the sub 100 range for this very reason. I have seen some of the early hulls and trust me there are some real head scratchers in there. But most of them are still sailing hard today. Whether you repair what you have first or use the boat it does not look like your hull will fail, leak, or collapse if you try and use it. Have you tried sailing it yet and does the hull make odd crunchy noises when you walk around? If all you hear is the humm of the keel cable then you're likely good. These little 22s are resilient and a joy to own. Hope that helps.

PS good plan to do the keel cable maintenance but if going that far plan to replace the pivot pin, turning ball, volcano tube, and the winch if you still have the skinny old style drum. The Tech manual form the Catalina 22 National sailing Assiociation has information and pictures on all of this. Also if you want more about the history of your boat and like to read check out this book put together by a friend of mine Rich Fox.

Catalina 22 Download Files

www.catalina22.org

 

[Carl Wonderful]

@Carl Wonderful so @dlochner is correct in that what you're seeing is the tabbing in the hull. Like has been stated it brakes over time with trailering etc. It's actually not as structural as it would be in most boats as the Catalina 22 is built differently. That tabbing holds the inner hull liner into place. Normal boats would have a hull, some sort of ply, more glass, and then the finished inner hull. Frank Butler in his bid to build the affordable family daysailer changed the way boats were built for its day. The outer hull is relatively thin and the woven mat is what you see from the inner side with the checkered pattern on it. It is only accessed from the hatches. The hull liner then goes in place, is tabbed down, and the top deck is placed on the boat. During your build year Catalina was pumping out almost 100 boats a week if I remember correctly. Because of this there are lots of variations in resin, and tabbing attachment in hulls. If your liner is starting to flex too much then do as other have said. Mix a bit of epoxy and stiffen the tabbing back up. Not too difficult of a job if you dont mind being messy.

Now onto the red stuff. It appears as though someone added some filler or epoxy at some point. Could have been to stiffen the liner floor or who knows. It's really not an issue as it's not a structural component. just an oddity.

Now as for the Bulkheads. The C22 bullkheads are not tabbed into the fiberglass at all like a normal off shore boat would be. They are attached with screws to the liner and the liner is bolstered underneath toward the hull in places. Bulkheads are a common place of rot unfortunately but since they are not glassed into place on your boat there easy to remove, cut new ones, and reinstall should the time ever arise. There are numerous threads on this forum about replacing them.

In the end you may be scaring yourself looking for issues where they dont exist. In your hull year the hulls were thinner, the boats more flexible, and faster. Racers today seek out hull numbers in the sub 100 range for this very reason. I have seen some of the early hulls and trust me there are some real head scratchers in there. But most of them are still sailing hard today. Whether you repair what you have first or use the boat it does not look like your hull will fail, leak, or collapse if you try and use it. Have you tried sailing it yet and does the hull make odd crunchy noises when you walk around? If all you hear is the humm of the keel cable then you're likely good. These little 22s are resilient and a joy to own. Hope that helps.

PS good plan to do the keel cable maintenance but if going that far plan to replace the pivot pin, turning ball, volcano tube, and the winch if you still have the skinny old style drum. The Tech manual form the Catalina 22 National sailing Assiociation has information and pictures on all of this. Also if you want more about the history of your boat and like to read check out this book put together by a friend of mine Rich Fox.

Catalina 22 Download Files

www.catalina22.org

I was just worried that the red stuff was a sort of fix attempt for some bigger issue that might haunt me down the road. I just took the keel off and I can not see any issues up in the keel trunk or anything so i still have no idea why that is there?

That's interesting that you say the older Catalina's hulls were thinner. I was sort of specifically looking for an older boat because I always heard that older boats 60's...early 70's were overbuilt because they didn't know how strong fiberglass actually was or something like that. So I figured I was getting a thicker, tougher boat wit ha 1971.. no??

I have not sailed it yet. Just got it and been working on fixing her up!

Its a 1971...boat/ship/hull number "458" so that meas it was the 458th Catalina 22 every made, right??

I did also get the whole kit to fix also the pivot pin, turning ball, volcano tube.. and got the stainless steel Swedish hose clamps. How can I tell if I have the old Winch. It seems to be working properly.

Thank for the info MUCH APPRECIATED!!!

 

[Carl Wonderful]

Also to repair the cracking tabbing... Specifically how do I do that?
Its really hard and only a few little end pieces (tiny) would chip/ break off. The rest is so hard, not sure how I could get rid of the old? Or do I sort of clean and sand everything and just reapply more tabbing over what was there before (cracked, old tabbing).

If someone can give the specific WEST SYSTEMS kit or combo I would need that would be super helpful. Confused at which products I need for this job.

THANKS!!

 

[LakeShark]

I was just worried that the red stuff was a sort of fix attempt for some bigger issue that might haunt me down the road. I just took the keel off and I can not see any issues up in the keel trunk or anything so i still have no idea why that is there?

That's interesting that you say the older Catalina's hulls were thinner. I was sort of specifically looking for an older boat because I always heard that older boats 60's...early 70's were overbuilt because they didn't know how strong fiberglass actually was or something like that. So I figured I was getting a thicker, tougher boat wit ha 1971.. no??

I have not sailed it yet. Just got it and been working on fixing her up!

Its a 1971...boat/ship/hull number "458" so that meas it was the 458th Catalina 22 every made, right??

I did also get the whole kit to fix also the pivot pin, turning ball, volcano tube.. and got the stainless steel Swedish hose clamps. How can I tell if I have the old Winch. It seems to be working properly.

Thank for the info MUCH APPRECIATED!!!

You are correct in that you have the 458th hull made it should be a last fun and light boat. Many boat builders did overbuild when they went to glass but the Catalina 22 was made after they had a pretty good idea on thickness vs strength. As for your tabbing repairs Boatworks today is your friend on YouTube. Basically scuff up the surface, clean, then mix up some resin and use a little cloth. Just soak it all the way. It's a messy job but not hard at all; hardest part is prep work and usually reaching what you want to repair.

 

[Cap'n Deke]

I used to do this for Catalina. I'm not responsible for your boat - that was a bit before my time there - but I know how it happens. The hull and bulkheads are built to a reliable specification. If you were to bore out a section from your boat and do the same for another Catalina 22 of similar age, you should see just about the exact same structure.

When it comes to tabbing, that's an unpleasant job that often goes to the least experienced lad in the shop. It is usually cramped and awkward and nearly impossible to do right. That's why most factory fiberglass boats have at least some tabbing work that is less than perfect, to be generous. What you're seeing is quite common.

The good news is that it's easy to fix if you take your time and do it right. When I say "easy" I mean it doesn't take a lot of special skills unless you consider contortion a special skill. The reason it wasn't done right the first time is almost certainly because of where it is. The key to success is all about setting up the workspace to be as comfortable as possible for you to do the work properly.

So the step that people don't often think about is to get some lumber, some foam pads, some ventilation tubes, and a fan. The idea is to make yourself a little rig that lets you work in relative comfort so you can do the job without holding yourself up with one hand, holding your materials in the other hand, and doing the work with the other hand. You may have noticed that's too many hands. I would say that setting up to work in the space will take about twice as long as the repair itself, which is why people usually shortcut this and just sort of "do their best", which is usually lacking. The best of intentions tend to go out the window when you are struggling to hold your head up any longer, everything is sticky and sweaty at the same time, and you can either look at the work or do the work, but not both at the same time.

The repair itself is pretty simple. You just need to be able to properly prep all surfaces and to do the layups without having to compromise because of the awkwardness of the location. Here, a friend is helpful so you don't have to crawl in and out of your little cave. Get in, get comfortable, and have them pass you what you need so you can keep your space uncluttered. If they are a true friend, they will crawl in there while you put on the tea.

 

[Carl Wonderful]

I used to do this for Catalina. I'm not responsible for your boat - that was a bit before my time there - but I know how it happens. The hull and bulkheads are built to a reliable specification. If you were to bore out a section from your boat and do the same for another Catalina 22 of similar age, you should see just about the exact same structure.

When it comes to tabbing, that's an unpleasant job that often goes to the least experienced lad in the shop. It is usually cramped and awkward and nearly impossible to do right. That's why most factory fiberglass boats have at least some tabbing work that is less than perfect, to be generous. What you're seeing is quite common.

The good news is that it's easy to fix if you take your time and do it right. When I say "easy" I mean it doesn't take a lot of special skills unless you consider contortion a special skill. The reason it wasn't done right the first time is almost certainly because of where it is. The key to success is all about setting up the workspace to be as comfortable as possible for you to do the work properly.

So the step that people don't often think about is to get some lumber, some foam pads, some ventilation tubes, and a fan. The idea is to make yourself a little rig that lets you work in relative comfort so you can do the job without holding yourself up with one hand, holding your materials in the other hand, and doing the work with the other hand. You may have noticed that's too many hands. I would say that setting up to work in the space will take about twice as long as the repair itself, which is why people usually shortcut this and just sort of "do their best", which is usually lacking. The best of intentions tend to go out the window when you are struggling to hold your head up any longer, everything is sticky and sweaty at the same time, and you can either look at the work or do the work, but not both at the same time.

The repair itself is pretty simple. You just need to be able to properly prep all surfaces and to do the layups without having to compromise because of the awkwardness of the location. Here, a friend is helpful so you don't have to crawl in and out of your little cave. Get in, get comfortable, and have them pass you what you need so you can keep your space uncluttered. If they are a true friend, they will crawl in there while you put on the tea.

Very nice to hear. Thanks for your info and experience. Just had a couple specifics I'm unsure about.

1. So I don't have to remove the old tabbing... Just rough up the old and clean up well?

2. I've tried all my sources but I'm still little confused at exactly what product I need to get. I'm leaning toward West Systems but there's a lot of options between the epoxy's, hardeners, and fabrics... any chance you can give me a step by step fiberglass/epoxy grocery list to order for this job?
3. I'll also need some sort of grinder/brush and/or sandpaper?
4. Cleaners needed?
5. Anything else needed for the re-tabbing job?

***(I have a new Milwaukee grinder and also a Milwaukee oscillating multi-tool ready to use)

THANKS!!!!

 

[dlochner]

1. So I don't have to remove the old tabbing... Just rough up the old and clean up well?

Any loose tabbing should be removed. If it well adhered, then leave it.

2. I've tried all my sources but I'm still little confused at exactly what product I need to get. I'm leaning toward West Systems but there's a lot of options between the epoxy's, hardeners, and fabrics... any chance you can give me a step by step fiberglass/epoxy grocery list to order for this job?

Use the basic epoxy with the slow hardener. It will give you more working time. For this job there is no need for thickeners. A medium weight cloth will be fine, around 6oz.

3. I'll also need some sort of grinder/brush and/or sandpaper?

Yes you will. A decent dual action random orbit sander will work with 60 or 80 grit sand paper. You will also need dust masks and if you don't want to itch later a tyvek suit. A shop vac will be helpful to clean up the dust.

4. Cleaners needed?

Acetone works. Also white vinegar will clean up any tools.

 

[Cap'n Deke]

Dave nailed it. The only things I would add are that:

1. You can save yourself some angst if you buy fiberglass tape rather than cut fiddly strips out of a sheet of cloth. Once you get going on this, every damn thing is sticky and you'll have stringy bits of glass everywhere. You'll be looking around for a big spider to come along and wrap you up. Fiberglass tape reduces this by orders of magnitude. Precut a bunch of lengths that are just about the length of your joint and stagger each piece an inch or two lengthwise and laterally. This'll give you a nice tapered tab. For a pro finish, you actually want the ends of your layups to extend a couple of inches too long for the joint - you'll fix this later (see below).
2. Don't try to cut more pieces after you started the job unless you have a helper with clean hands to do it for you. And ... have a helper with clean hands that isn't stuffed into the bowels of the boat with you.
3. Don't worry about oversaturating the cloth or about squeezing out every drop of spare epoxy. Technically, any epoxy that isn't required to wet out the fabric is extra weight and doesn't add to the strength of the layup. But, this isn't the place to try to save ounces. A lot of tabbing fails because it wasn't wetted out very well to begin with. Don't be excessive, but don't worry about it too much either. Just get it well-wetted and take your time with a brush or roller to make sure the cloth is thoroughly saturated. This is easier if there's just a bit more epoxy than you really need. If you have two helpers, one keeps their hands clean, one wets out strips and hands them to you, and you just lay them in place and work them in with a chip brush.
4. Splurge a bit and get some peel ply. This'll give your work a nice finish and prevent those little needles that tend to stick out around joints. It can also help you work out some excess epoxy but don't get too aggressive with that or you risk the peel ply becoming a permanent part of your joint. Make sure to remove the peel ply before the resin is completely cured - about when it is just barely not tacky anymore but still soft enough to dent with your fingernail. Timing isn't real critical here - just late enough that you don't damage your layups removing the peel ply, but early enough that you still can.
5. Don't skimp on layers. I've seen too many DIY jobs (and factory jobs) where they only used one or two layers. Even if two layers is strong enough, you can usually get a smoother joint if you do four or five staggered layups, making sure that you are at least two layers thick at any point along the joint. There are maths to figure out how much of a given weight of cloth is needed. Ignore all of that and just use five unless you know differently or just want to do more. You can look at the old joint and estimate what they did and just do about 1 1/2 times that because they probably skimped.
6. This is a good opportunity to install a channel where you might want to run wires at some point now or in the future. It doesn't need to be fancy - just a semi-rigid plastic tube that is hidden under the joint, if there is room. If you do this, do the next owner a favor by clearly writing down the size and purpose of the channel on a piece of paper, then embed that paper (thoroughly wetted) under the last layer of glass you lay down. When fully wetted out, this will be readable and it won't significantly weaken the joint if you've taken my advice on doing more than two layers. Install the channel with plenty of excess at either end, then cut off the excess with a razor once everything is cured.
7. Remember that excess you left at the ends? Just before laying down your peel ply (if you used some), gently pull up the last couple of inches at the end or your joint, fold this excess under, and press it all back down again. This gives your joint a nice smooth end rather than the piranha-toothed saw it would otherwise leave. This finishing touch will give you bragging rights when showing off your work. It will also make your the ends of your joint about twice the strength of the rest of your joint which is exactly where you want additional reinforcement. For this work well, you need to have staggered those ends. Otherwise, you'll get a ridge underneath were all of those strips end at the same place. That ridge can create a void underneath where it pushes up on the fabric above it.

 

[shemandr]

Regarding removing the existing failed tabbing: If it is impregnated with cured resin you should probably remove it. The new resin will not permeate the tape or cloth that already has cured resin in it. Grind fest!
I'd want an aggressive grinder for that job. Get it done fast and ugly. I'm thinking rotating not oscillating. Grit you could stub your toe on.

 

[Carl Wonderful]

Thanks for all the help everyone..I'm getting much closer to feeling confident to get this job done.

1. Since I have lifted the boat off the trailer and removed the keel, It seems the tabbing is even more obvious and basically seems attached well to the vertical areas (under areas of the cabin (seats and what not...) but the parts that connect to the hull are now completely removed from the hull and just floating there above it an 1/8" or so in most places. I'm wondering if in this case I can use my Milwaukee multi/oscillating tool to just sort of cut down vertically on/into the vertical sides and save myself a ton of mess ....rather than trying to use sander/grinder..?

2. Also I'm guessing I should wait until the keel is back on and the boat is on the trailer before actually applying the new TABBING? The hull must be flexed now that the keel is off and the boat is up on supports, rather than sitting normally on the trailer bunks. I feel like when its on the trailer, its more naturally shaped as if it was on the water.

 

[dlochner]

Thanks for all the help everyone..I'm getting much closer to feeling confident to get this job done.

1. Since I have lifted the boat off the trailer and removed the keel, It seems the tabbing is even more obvious and basically seems attached well to the vertical areas (under areas of the cabin (seats and what not...) but the parts that connect to the hull are now completely removed from the hull and just floating there above it an 1/8" or so in most places. I'm wondering if in this case I can use my Milwaukee multi/oscillating tool to just sort of cut down vertically on/into the vertical sides and save myself a ton of mess ....rather than trying to use sander/grinder..?

2. Also I'm guessing I should wait until the keel is back on and the boat is on the trailer before actually applying the new TABBING? The hull must be flexed now that the keel is off and the boat is up on supports, rather than sitting normally on the trailer bunks. I feel like when its on the trailer, its more naturally shaped as if it was on the water.

Yes, you can use an oscillating tool to remove as much of the tabbing as you can. Sanding and/or grinding is still necessary before replacing the tabbing. The surface area must be relatively flat and rough enough to get a good epoxy bond. 80 grit should be adequate.

Again you're correct. Put the boat back on the trailer or batter yet put the boat in the water, so that the hull is fully supported and the bulkheads are in contact with the hull.