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Delamination or normal flex?
http://www.hobie.com/au/en/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=55256		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  aberrant [ Wed Jul 08, 2015 4:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Delamination or normal flex?
I have a soft spot which I know for sure is delamination as it flexes probably a quarter of an inch or so and I can flex it by hand without a lot of force. I have a question about what's an acceptable amount of flex on the deck though. In every other area on the deck when I walk (I'm approximately 180lbs), the deck has a tiny bit of give to it, I can see spots where my heel puts pressure on the deck flex a tiny bit. Are the decks and side of the hulls supposed to have ANY give to them or are they supposed to be solid as a rock everywhere? This is my first boat so I have nothing to compare it to. When I walk on the hulls I don't hear any cracking or anything like when I walked on the delamination spot.
Author:  srm [ Thu Jul 09, 2015 2:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Delamination or normal flex?
Stiffer is better, but as the hulls age, they will develop some flex. New boats are quite rigid and you will have to press very hard to get any perceptible flex (this is why racers prefer new boats). It also depends to some degree on where you press on the hull. The H18, for example, has very broad, flat bows. Because of that shape, it is easy to get the bows to deflect.

To answer your question, some degree of flex is generally acceptable, especially with older boats. How much is a little hard to say, but I think you're on the right track. Put some decent weight on the area and if deflection is limited to 1/16" or 1/8" with no crunching noises, you should be good. You can also wrap on the hulls with your knuckles and listen to the pitch of the knocking sound. A crisp, high pitch sound is what you what to hear. A dull thud means the hull structure is breaking down.

sm
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