hull bottom question

Is there foam between glass layers on the bottom of the H18 hull as well as the sides and top?

I noticed what looks like a 5" long longitudinal crack right on the bottom of my hull forward of the dagger well. It is actually about the place where the boat sites on the trailer. Am I facing a repair like the delamination repairs mentioned here often, or is this just an area of thick glass.

The hull is not taking on any more water then the other one but they both take on about two or three cups worth in a 3 hour sail.

Any suggestions here.

The bottom of the hull is just solid glass.

sm

so now for my other question(s). What sort of resin should I use to repair this? Are these boats poly of epoxy resin boats?

I think I can get inside and lay a layer of glass cloth (should I use woven or that random stuff) via the 6 inspection port, but for the outside are there any suggestions?

Adrio

Hobie Cats are made with polyester resin. Gelcoat is polyester, polyester dosen't stick to epoxy resin well (or so I'm told).

Try to use that unless your glueing a deck back to a hull. Epoxy is a better glue.

_________________
1989 Hobie 18 Worlds Boat, Magnum Wings & Spinnaker
1987 Hobie Holder 20 #273

dale.vanlopik"at"att"dot"net

I have repaired bottom cracks
by laying glass, mat+ lite roving called fab-mat
only on the inside and useing marine-tex to fill cracks
on the out side

clean and sand inside to remove the wax
[all poly resin has wax in it to air seal the curing resin]
use BONDING resin and mat +cloth or roving not just mat

lite on the catalist and use heat to speed cure
heat gun is best but a hairdryer or heat lamp will work
even a simple light bulb will help add heat in side the hull

_________________
QUESTION WONDER AND BE WEIRD

Is it cracked all the way through? I would expect the hull to take on water if it is (probably a lot of water!).

The hulls are built using polyester resin. I am told that epoxy will bond fine to polyester (but not vice-versa), but I would probably just use polyester. If it is cracked all the way through, you should use fiberglass cloth to build it up at least to original thickness. If the hull bottoms are worn, it's probably a good idea to lay glass on the outside of the hull too, to build it back up.

Be sure to clean and prep the area well also, as others have said.

sm

Thanks for the tips. I don't think the crack is all the way through, but I have to check carefully before I say for sure. The reason I don't think so is that the hull did not take on any more water then the other side the last day I was sailing (in fact it took on less).

I only discouvered the crack because I hit the bottom with my dagger board the last time I was sailing and I gave the hull a thurough check in case I did any damage. It was a very windy day but I was going slow when I hit the bottom. Turns out the river was a bit lower then normal

Adrio

Adrio, I just read your post for the 1st time. Have you resolved the issue with the crack yet? Do you still want/need input on repairing an 18 hull? Let me know... Rick

that job will have to wait until the snow goes away in five months. I am always happy to have some input.

Adrio, If you want to send your email address to [email protected] I've got some photos of a step by step repair on some 18 hulls which might help you. If there is a visable crack on the outside of the hull there's a good chance it's bigger than you think. Rick

Thanks for the offer Rick. I have sent you an email with my address. I know what you mean about it maybe being bigger then I think. I have had a good look inside and perhaps I need to learn better how to tell from the inside where the crack is, but it does not look so bad from in there. The outside may be only cosmetic (but that may be wishfull thinking and I want to confirm it before I use the boat next spring) as I can't seem to defect one side of the crack from the other no matter how hard I push.

By sping when I get the boat out of storage I will have calmed down enough to take this project on properly.

Speaking of storage, I should go check on the boat given that we had 16 inches of snow fall in one day which brought our total so far to 60 inches. Might be time to brush the snow off the tarp

I look forward to your email.