445 hull problem

[Gary]

My 445 is an old Moorings charterboat. I suspect it was run aground hard before iI bought it last October. My first sign of a problem was a leaking foreward water tank. Hairline cracks running fore and aft. Any suggestions on repairs? Has anyone had the "liner" rebonded to the hull. It has come to my attention that if this bond breaks it creates a "hard spot" that can cause the hull to crack if the boat pounds going to windward. I was also told that the aft end of the keel could be suspect. I am going to haul the boat on Monday and would appreciate any information on what to look for.Thanks Gary

 

[Luis Fabre]

445 hull bonding

I owned (until 2004) a 444 which was formerly a Sunsail charter boat. When I decided to sell it the buyer's surveyor found, by hitting the hull with a rubber mallet, that the hull had separated from the liner/stringers in an area just forward of the keel. He said this is a common occurrence on these boats. The rebonding entails cutting a 12" diameter hole in the hull, pouring the epoxy between the hull and separated stringers and rebuilding the 12" hole.Seemed to me like a complicated job so I discounted the selling price and sold the boat as is, although the surveyor insisted this repair has benn done on many of these boats.By the way, you have a great boat, goes very well into the wind, very stable and comfortable inside. I have since regretted selling it.Hope this help!

 

[Randy]

Rebonding stringers

Rebonding the stringers or any glass work on the boat for that matter in not rocket science. If you can get forward, you may see the problem of the seperation. If you're not experanced with epoxy, it might be best to get someone who is, that stuff can set up pretty fast if you're not careful. I've added projects to the hull inside the boat where I've glassed sections to the stringers with no problem.. One in particular, found a leak from the rear shower in my 42. by looking through an access hole in the stringer I found a bad drain hose attached to the shower pan. The hose must have been added before the inter-liner was installed. To fix the problem, I cut a 2"hole with a hole-saw in the top of the stringallowing a screwdriver through to the hole to access the clamp. after the repairs were done, I put a piece of tape on the inside of the hole and glassed in the outside. the stringer was about a half inch thick at the point wherewhere I cut the hole..