First post...Hello...and question about my 146

Mar 21, 2018
43
hunter 146 Keuka Lake NY/ Jersey Shore
Greetings !
Just found this forum last week, and have been digesting everything I can find. You all seem like such a great bunch too!

Let me start by introducing myself, my name is Pat, I'm a 44 y/o married father of four kiddos. I sailed a pretty good amount when I was younger (mostly sunfish, sunflower, and lazers) but haven't sailed in about 20 years. Anyway the wife and I bought a summer place on Lake Keuka, and I've always wanted to teach the kiddos to sail. So I decided on a 146 to start. Since my last boat, was literally cut in two by a 50ft cherry tree. The issue is I was recently diagnosed with Leukemia, so as you can imagine money is tight. Found a 2004 boat I could afford...a few cracks (not an issue easy fix), great canvas, rigging, trailer, and motor. The issue is when I bought it water (Gallons) had gotten into a large crack on the deck aft of the center board. Since it's still cold here in the NE the water was frozen, so the decking felt firm. When it melted it was apparent a 2ft sq second of the plastic decking was delamed from whatever is underneath, and now is soft. My question is there anything that can be done to fix it? I've already gotten all the water out, but I'm not sure what to do to relaminate the decking, and stick it back down.......Anyone have any Ideas??
 
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Nov 1, 2017
635
Catalina 25 Sea Star Base Galveston, TX
@KeukaSailer ,

Good afternoon, and welcome to SBO! I joined this forum a while ago and it's a GREAT way to pass time and learn more from other experienced mariners! As for your situation, I have utmost respect for you, as cancer runs in my family, and I've lost and kept a few members from Breast Cancer; thus, I pray the best for you! Your choice of boat is a very interesting one, as I've only ever seen one other Hunter 146 in my entire eighteen years of being alive (haha). I've sailed Catalina Capri 14.2s when I first joined Sea Scouts, so I'm assuming that your newer Hunter is similar. Some pictures of the damage would help, as it's a bit difficult to understand where exactly your fiberglass issue is occurring. From what I can understand, though, the first thing I can tell you is that you've gotta make sure the floor that is damaged is fiberglass without a wood insole; if there's wood underneath that first layer of fiberglass, you may very well end up with a bigger problem with the boat than you may have bargained for. However, you're probably gonna have to sand the area down first, and then cut into it to see what kind of damage is beneath the surface. If it goes all the way through the floor and through the hull, then I'd be worried, but your problem doesn't seem to be that bad. After you sand it all down, you're gonna have to re-layer the fiberglass with resin and sand it out to smooth it after it dries to the proper thickness. After that, you layer primer and then paint it (you can look up basic fiberglass repairs online). It takes some work, but you'll feel super accomplished after you make the repair yourself. I hope this helps!

God Bless,
S.S.
 
Apr 16, 2017
841
Federation NCC-1701 Riverside
Mar 20, 2004
1,729
Hunter 356 and 216 Portland, ME
the 146 is an ACP boat, not fiberglass - the procedure for fixing cracks,etc is posted here on the site. It's structural foam under the skin, which unlike wood won't absorb water and rot, and depending on how much separation there is you can try several different things. If weighting the skin down seems to restore the firm surface, you can try - once it's really dry inside - pumping in some plexus adhesive and weighting it down with sandbags to restore the bond. plexus or similar is the adhesive used to fix cracks. 5200 may also work, but it's got a really long curetime. post some pictures and the forum can be more specific.
 

Kermit

.
Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
Welcome to the forum and welcome back to sailing. @Crazy Dave Condon is the man with answers for you. He’s a former dealer and knows everything there is to know about trailerable Hunter sailboats.

My wife and I have a great nephew at Keuka College. He now has the coordinates tattooed on his chest. I’ve been to Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake. We missed going to Keuka by *this much.*
 
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Mar 21, 2018
43
hunter 146 Keuka Lake NY/ Jersey Shore
BobbyFunn...Yeah the outer skin is the ACP stuff...pulled the inspection ports and it it definitely glass on the inside, even the under side of the deck. So it must be a sandwich type construction, with foam between the glass and plastic. The foam looks almost like surfboard type foam.
ChuckWayne...I might try drilling some holes thru the ACP surface, and pumping some kind of adhesive, and weighing down like you said. Just nervous about finding something that won't eat the foam.
Kermit...Keuka College is just down the road. Keuka is a little slice of heaven. Kind of place that gets in your blood.
 
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Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
@KeukaSailer
Send me a private message with phone number and I will be glad to discuss hoe to repair. Many were advising and thank you. I am a former Hunter dealer who sold, repaired the 146. Your info is kept confidential
Crazy Dave
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
@Crazy Dave Condon is the man with answers for you.
:plus:

Welcome KeukaSailor,
joining SBO shows your higher intelligence:).
I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. My daughter has a friend who's father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He ended up in full remission. My wife, a nurse for 30 years, had never heard of that. So, there are great advances and cancer isn't the killer it use to be.
It is fantastic that you are getting your kids into sailing. I use to enjoy visiting the Finger Lakes region when my son was in college in Ithaca. I didn't own a sailboat then. Now that I own a trailerable, I plan to sail the wine trails or just enjoy the views from the water.
Definitely a beautiful place to sail.
I'm afraid I don't have any advice better or even different then that which has already been given. All problems are fixable. It is just a matter of effort to return.

- Will (Dragonfly)
 
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Likes: KeukaSailer
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
Spoke with the owner and he will send photos and suggested drilling at the end with a 1//8 drill bit to stop the spread of any cracks. It is interesting he is into Civil War History and model trains, right my alley. Will keep you all posted. Thank you Kermit for steering me to this post and again right up my alley. Thank you all for your contributions paticuralay Chuckwayne. Guys, lets keep this fellow sailor in our prayers for a full recovery.
 
Mar 21, 2018
43
hunter 146 Keuka Lake NY/ Jersey Shore
Thank you very much Dave It was a true pleasure speaking with you today. You have so much knowledge, I appreciate you sharing some with me. God bless you. and thank you so much to all the rest of you for your kind words, and advice. It's going to be fun little project getting our 146 seaworthy, for my kids and I. I promise to post before and after pictures.
Pat