I was doing some final sanding to prep my catalina 22 for paint. I just noticed A small need for repair. I posted some pics below of where the repairs needed. This is at the bow of the boat for the front railing. Is this something that I can fix with some epoxy and 3M premium filler?
Advice on a small repair job for my catalina 22
- Thread starter Erbardy
- Start date
Easy fix and if you are planning on putting the stanchion post back... you don't even have to make it pretty as it will be hidden under the stanchion base. Take a small chisel and gently lift out any fiberglass that is not structurally sound. Then fill the cavity with epoxy gel. I would then tape the squeegee over the top with painters tape to make a nice smooth surface so that the epoxy cures nice and smooth and let the epoxy go off. Re-drill the holes and move on. You can buy these types of squeegees at Walmart or any auto parts store. The squeegee is usually near the bondo. Don't use bondo! It can absorb water and expand. One last trick... take one of those compressed air cans used to clean your key board and blow out any remaining bits before you add the epoxy.
I'm going to hazard a guess that the top laminate is cracked. But the technique described would be the same. Cut out the bad stuff and add new. You should check the core there as stanchion bases are the cause of water leaking into the core in many cases. People grab them and then you have a crack.
I can see from the picture that the laminate is broken, for sure. I would bet you the balsa core material is cracked or rotted. If that’s the case, and a proper repair requires cutting out the broken laminate and core and replacing both. That’s the only way it will be as strong as the original.
If you fill in around the broken laminate with epoxy filler but don’t bevel in new laminate the broken using proper techniques, the deck under the stanchion will fail again when the stanchion gets stressed.
It’s up to you. Do it right the first time or be prepared to do it again later. Later could be after 10 cycles of flexing the deck by pulling on the stanchion, maybe 1000 cycles.
Just my perspective, your mileage may vary.
Judy B
If you fill in around the broken laminate with epoxy filler but don’t bevel in new laminate the broken using proper techniques, the deck under the stanchion will fail again when the stanchion gets stressed.
It’s up to you. Do it right the first time or be prepared to do it again later. Later could be after 10 cycles of flexing the deck by pulling on the stanchion, maybe 1000 cycles.
Just my perspective, your mileage may vary.
Judy B
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