"Large" soft spot

Hi,

I've got an older hobie 14, the hulls are 1976 and one of them is fine, the other not so much.

There aren't any cracks that I could see, but the front 2/3 of the pontoon seems to be delaminated. I'm wondering if anyone has some good advice for patching it up.

Should I use the drill air holes and inject method and just work my way down from the front, or try something more like vacuum bagging, drill one hole up front to supply resin and another hole in the back for suction and fill the gaps that way.


Thoughts?

follow the 100's of threads on here about fixing delam. If you only drill 2 holes you can't confirm if the epoxy got to all of the delam area. your better off drilling holes 2" apart or so in a grid pattern. Then just fill until it runs out of the adjacent holes, plug and move on to the next one.

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'73 hobie 16 restored 2011
'00 Seaswirl fishin boat

Do you mean 2/3 of the deck or 2/3 of the entire hull? Either way, you are talking about a LOT of work....I'd be looking for a replacement hull(s) instead. Be aware that the delam repair just buys some time...it's not a long term fix. If you are going to sail the boat very often and/or very hard, it may not last long at all.

Disclaimer: This is just an opinion based on my individual experience and should be taken as such. Many members of this forum are apparently better set up for, and really enjoy, working on boats. My preference is to spend a little more cash and a lot more time sailing.

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16

2/3 of the hull is delaminated = time for a new (used) hull.

sm

I'm hoping to avoid getting a another hull, I'm located in canada and the market for parts here isn't all that big.

I've got time to try and fix it, plus access to an industrial grade vacuum pump and lots of resin

I know the vacuum setup is used on larger fiberglass boats if they delaminate, has anyone ever tried such a method on a small scale?


As for use, its just for gentle days on small lakes, so its not going to ever see a proper ocean wave, it'll also be a while before I'm comfortable enough on it to get it on one hull. Even patched it might be enough for a little while, long enough to keep fixing it or find replacement parts.

Oh, and its the top part of the hull thats delaminated (from bow to aft pylon), the sides seem fine (I knowthats not saying much).

Ride this piece of crap until it breaks completely and then throw it to the lions.
A boat with such a delamination is a candidate for a never ending epoxy nightmare.

guuz - This sounds like a BIG job for an amateur, but you mentined that you have access to an industrial grade vacuum pump and lots of resin......used on larger fiberglass boats. Is the person who is providing you with this "access" more experienced with large building and repairing projects? If so, see what this person thinks and please let us know.
Without professional help this project could turn out to be a real nightmare and still leave you with a boat that's unsafe.

I've been going over the hull, and looks like its not a soft as I thought, there were only a few spots that would take any resin (I may have been a bit paranoid and those spots were only


So right now things seem largely okay, just have to sand and paint


Thanks for the advice though