Deck ports/delamination

I know there are lots of posts on soft hulls and think I have read just about all of them but I have a question I havent found an answer to.

I am wondering if any one can give me some advise. The top of one of my hulls is soft from a few inches forward of the fwd pylon for about 4 feet. I am wondering if it would be better to put a deck port forward of the pylon so that I can see inside and see if there is damage to the glass. and make sure the foam is dry or get it dry before doing the repair listed in the FAQ's posts. Or would the deck port case my hull to be even weaker.

Any advise would be apreciated. Thanks

A deck port would be a good idea. It will make part of the delam repair easier and allow you an inspection port for the future. Plus, if you leave your drain plugs out you can get a hand operated bilge pump in there to speed the draining process. It will also allow you storage and provide much better airflow for drying out the inside of your hulls.

_________________
Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO

I agree to fitting a deck port...use the "contoured" ports in either 4" or 5" available in Hobie catalog or Murrays www.murrays.com they come as a kit with nylon screws & nuts and 3M silicone.

The contoured ports fit nicely to the contour of the hull....so no messy filling.

I fitted solar vents to 2 extra port lids and fit them when not sailing as they mak a nice draught thru the hulls to keep them dry.

I like the solar vent idea. What did that cost you, roughly?

_________________
Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO

Thanks for the info on the ports. But it seems like I would be making a weak hull weaker by putting a hole in it. Maybe I am overly concerned?

If you do the delam reapair properly the deck will be plenty strong. I had an H16 with the 5" ports in the hulls and had no problems. And, as mentioned earlier, the benefits are very nice.

_________________
Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO

I had an area of approximately 40 cm x 10 cm delaminated in front of the front pylon. First I made holes for 5" ports in the area, dug out 2 cm of foam around the holes and filled it with epoxy to keep it dry. The deck is already much more rigid than before even though the delamination fix isn't done yet...