many repair questions and a few others

I started resurecting one hobie 16 and am now resurecting 3. When I get to be in charge abandoning a Hobie in a field will be a hanging offence. That said. I seek wisdom.

Pylong leaks. All the boats have leaks around the pylons, all have been silconed (sp?) and one is actually leaking out the top of the pylon which implies some hole in the aluminum below deck. Is there some more effective way of stopping these type of leaks?

Forward deck to hull leaks. Two of the boats have significant cracks in the front 2 or 3 feet of the hull deck interface. One has been siliconed which doesn't seem to be all that effective. Additionally I am concerned that this is a high stress area from the upward pressure of the forestay. Any suggestions? Is there a product / mechanism to inject epoxy cement / glue into a long thin crack of this nature. The cracks are slightly wider than a razor blade or box cutter blade.

Is there some trailer tie down method that is better than others.
for example, over the hull without touching the pylon versus around the pylong and back to the outside, versus over the top of the pylon so it doesn't touch the hull. I can imagine advantages and disadvantages to all these mechanisms.

That is it for now. I am sure I will have more questions as my projects progress.

By the way are there any sailors out there from the sacramento or environs who are sailing in the delta. I got no reply to my email to the fleet captain. Running over windsurfers and kiteboarders is fun but if there were more of us maybe we could coral them. They might be good eating if skinned and properly prepared.

ttfn Shawn

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When the going gets weird the weird turn pro - Hunter S. Thompson

That would seem to defy gravity. How does water leak from the top of the pylon?? BTW, the pylons have air vents into the hulls.

For a trailer tie down, check out this thread and read Matt Bounds suggested tie down strategy. Makes total sense

http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=10396

If you have a boat with a real crack, not just a gel coat crazing/crack in the front of the hull, I think it may need to be buried at sea. Others may disagree

However, if the crack is very thin, you might follow the same procedure that people use for delam repairs, just make sure you not only fill the crack but also the layers around it in case water has caused delamination. You can tell this by pressing down on the hull surface, if it is soft, it is delaminated. Go to the repair section in this forum...there are many threads there on it.

Good luck!

One additional thought...take some pictures of the cracks and post them. They are worth a thousand words and would probably help you get some additional feedback.

I have been searching for leaks by pressurizing the hulls and applying soap. On one of the boats there is quite a large leak between the cap and the pylon which is not evident on any of the other pylons. ie it is the only one of the 12 I tested. I grant this is the least likely to give me grief. I was not aware that there is a air vent to the pylons. I do however spend much more time than the average sailor with the mast in the water and a couple of drowned rats hanging on to the righting lines. This is not totally related to my stupidity as a helmsman but that is probably the biggest factor. The Sacramento Delta has consistently strong gusty winds and I am the only experienced Hobie sailor I know so I am spending a lot of time with friends who have never been on a sailboat let alone a cat. They tend to make mistakes faster than I can correct them. So it may actually be an issue. Additionally for some reason the hulls seem to float much lower than I remember from my troubled youth and there is a nearly constant barage of water hitting the cap / pylon interface when under full press.
I have previously posted asking for righting suggestions in an area of high wind and high current so if you have any ideas I would really appreciate them.

thx Shawn

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When the going gets weird the weird turn pro - Hunter S. Thompson

I don't know if I was clear that the cracks in question are not in the fabric of the fiberglass. They are at the join between the deck and the hull. I don't know if it was originally glued but for some reason part of it has opened up. Because it is so long and thin it is hard to clean it out or to get epoxy in.

I will try to get a picture posted.

thx all

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When the going gets weird the weird turn pro - Hunter S. Thompson

Turn the boat upside down and fix it. You won't have to work the epoxy in...gravity will do it.

Well the neighbours all think I am crazy but I did manage to get the boat turned over and gravity has kindly sucked the epoxy into the cracks and it has past the soap test. Thanks for that suggestion.

I am wondering about the pylons and whether it is worth the trouble of taking off the caps and trying to silicone the inside. Upside down there is enough water accumulated that it sounds like a coffee maker when I blow air through the hull. Any suggestions before I get myself into something I will regret.

Is there any value in scrapping out the old silicone and grinding the fiberglass around the pylons to apply some flexible epoxy or similar compound. Something a little more long lasting than silicone?

thanks in advance Sk

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When the going gets weird the weird turn pro - Hunter S. Thompson

Are you sure you have leaks between the pylons and the deck? The pylons are molded into the fiberglass. If they are loose enough to leak you have bigger problems than water coming in. For some reason everyone tries to seal up the pylons and corner castings with silicone. This is pointless to me and I don't think these boats come from the Hobie factory that way. I believe the marine architect who designed this never intended pylons to be water and air tight. The vents in the pylons are to neutralize air pressure in the hulls. These vents are located in the pylons because it is the highest point in the hull and because they are covered (and protected from splashing) by the corner castings. I think the primary objective is to let air in and also to let any splashed water drain out though the channels in the back of the pylons. I scraped all the silicone out of everything in this area and left it. A pint or two of water splashes into the hulls through the vents after a day of hard sailing but I think that is normal.

using the soap and water test, I found a few very minor leaks around my pylons. The major leaks were actually in the deck lip to hull connection area. I had maybe 4 fairly long areas on one hull and 2 on the other.

I ground them out with a drill and thin grinding wheel and filled with MarineTex.

befor the fix, I was getting enought water in the one hull to cause the boat to dive very hard on a tack or jib after about 30 minutes of sailing. This weekend I had the boat on the water for almost 6 hours in good winds and had less then 2 cups in each hull. I would say, go ahead and put a little silicone around the pylons if it makes you feel better.

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Bluish gray 73 - 83 H16
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Sorry if this repeats but...

There is definately a leak as tested by the air and soap. I do not know if it is significant or not. But given the weight of myself and crew in addition to the type of sailing here in the delta the pylons are nearly always under a sheet of water so it may be an issue.

After 30 years I think it is inevitable that leaks will develope around the pylons, how critical is the question.

As far as the leaks under the pylon caps I am going to follow the spirit of your advice and not screw with them. The only concern is that when one is over on the side struggling to right the boat what comes out can also go in. Hopefully too slowly to affect much.

thx sk

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When the going gets weird the weird turn pro - Hunter S. Thompson