Hi, my boat is on the hard in its cradle, and I noticed a small crack just aft of the keel. I’ve sanded down to look and find a crack in the hull that, judging by the added mat and different colors of fairing I find, has been an issue before. The crack is a V shape, following the keel shape, about 3” long each side, and is showing moisture as I sanded it. I did not notice any significant leak last season, but my guess is it goes all the way through. I want to make a good repair as I’ve already fixed the keel stub, and want to keep the boat for long time.
My current thinking is to cut up the cabin floor above this point ( inside the boat it is halfway between the bilge opening and the engine hatch ), clean/sand the hull and the apply a significant amount of 1708 and epoxy (10 layers - 0.5”, feathered in size, starting 24”*12” ). Then go outside, grind out 1/4” or so over 12” area and then glass it back with more 1708.
Do you kind folks have any better suggestions ? I did find a post where an owner had a yard grind out the cracked area and replace it, but with the complex shape (hard to get cloth to form with good strength ) and high loading I don’t like that idea.
Also, any insight as to how the cabin floor interfaces to the hull ? I can feel that the cabin floor has ply bonded to its underside, but it is tabbed or stuck to the hull some point ? I don’t want to cut out my access hatch shape and then find I can’t remove the piece I cut..
My current thinking is to cut up the cabin floor above this point ( inside the boat it is halfway between the bilge opening and the engine hatch ), clean/sand the hull and the apply a significant amount of 1708 and epoxy (10 layers - 0.5”, feathered in size, starting 24”*12” ). Then go outside, grind out 1/4” or so over 12” area and then glass it back with more 1708.
Do you kind folks have any better suggestions ? I did find a post where an owner had a yard grind out the cracked area and replace it, but with the complex shape (hard to get cloth to form with good strength ) and high loading I don’t like that idea.
Also, any insight as to how the cabin floor interfaces to the hull ? I can feel that the cabin floor has ply bonded to its underside, but it is tabbed or stuck to the hull some point ? I don’t want to cut out my access hatch shape and then find I can’t remove the piece I cut..
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