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 Post subject: Crazy Idea
PostPosted: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:26 pm 
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Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 3:09 pm
Posts: 2
Ok so just like a 100 other posts on this site I just bought an old hobie 16 and I'm trying to restore it. Problem #1 is the delamination (big surprise!). I have a pretty huge area delaminating. I know the epoxy fix. I've read 30+ posts on this site and others about how to do it. While reading those I came across this thread https://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2051 . In it user Coral Reefer talks about filling his hulls with foam. This has created a bunch of questions in my head.

1. I'm going to cut an access hole between the pylons. Could I use that access to clean out some of the middle hobie hull foam and refill it with a high density closed cell expanding foam? Essentially using new foam to fill the void as well as reattach the fiberglass layers?

2. Instead of idea #1 could I fill the hull layers of fiberglass with epoxy (the traditional route) then fill my hulls with expanding foam. As the foam expands is should strengthen the hulls and essentially press the hull layers together minimizing epoxy use and creating a better bond than an epoxy filled void?

3. Has anyone else done what Coral Reefer has? What are the long term results?

4. Because I'm hesitant to fill the rather large void between the layers with the required gallons of epoxy can anyone recommend a good method to press the layers closer together since I will have the access port?


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 Post subject: Re: Crazy Idea
PostPosted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 8:26 am 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
Posts: 4176
Location: Jersey Shore
Unless you want a 500 LB Hobie 16, I would not suggest filling the hulls with expanding foam.

sm


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 Post subject: Re: Crazy Idea
PostPosted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:05 pm 
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Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:35 am
Posts: 438
Location: Opelika/Lake Martin, Alabama
I second that. Don't fill your hulls with foam!!! You will just be adding weight and you will have air pockets and voids to begin with, then, once water seeps in, and it will get in there, then the foam will absorb the water making the boat even heavier. Let's say you do fill the hulls with foam, how would you be sure each hull had the exact same amount of foam in it? One hull could be heavier than the other and you definetly don't want that. Yeah, I wouldn't do that at all. Try the epoxy injection thing, or seek out some new hulls.

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Marty
1984 H16 Yellow Nationals Redline, "Yellow Fever"
Lake Martin, 'Bama.


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 Post subject: Re: Crazy Idea
PostPosted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:23 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:11 pm
Posts: 5197
Location: Detroit, MI
opticalzer0 wrote:
I just bought an old hobie 16 and I'm trying to restore it. Problem #1 is the delamination (big surprise!). I have a pretty huge area delaminating.

I got 'yer fix right here:
Image

Really. If the delam is "huge" - don't waste money trying to fix it. Find another used hull that's solid.


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 Post subject: Re: Crazy Idea
PostPosted: Thu Nov 09, 2017 3:30 pm 
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Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 3:09 pm
Posts: 2
Thanks for the responses guys. Here are my replies.

Does anyone have any comments about using a high density foam between the fiberglass layers instead of epoxy? It seems like a stiff foam filler would be better than 1/2" thick epoxy.

I'm aware that filling the hulls isn't great. Due to my area though I don't have easy access to almost any hulls let alone ones in decent shape. I'm a very rookie sailor though and if I could get a couple of years out of foam filled hulls it would make it a lot easier to shop for better hulls at my leisure, instead of trying to get them before next summer.

Using 2 part high expansion foam would actually be pretty easy to measure out and keep fairly similar weights between the hulls, but yes it would add weight.

Even if I got leaks and the foam eventually absorbed some liquid I could easily get 2 seasons of sailing out of the hulls which is a lot more than the 0 seasons sailing I get to do now.

Last even if it makes the boat heavier and slower if it keeps it intact then I'll be able to restore and improve the rest of the boat until new hulls become available. If I epoxy the hulls and the epoxy fails, snapping a hull or something, it could leave me with even more damage to the boat than just broken hulls. It could even result in a boat at the bottom of a lake and a complete loss.


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 Post subject: Re: Crazy Idea
PostPosted: Thu Nov 09, 2017 9:26 pm 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
Posts: 4176
Location: Jersey Shore
opticalzer0 wrote:
Does anyone have any comments about using a high density foam between the fiberglass layers instead of epoxy? It seems like a stiff foam filler would be better than 1/2" thick epoxy.


There is already high density foam between the fiberglass layers. Soft spots occur when the layers disbond from the foam. The objective of injecting epoxy is to bond the skins back to the foam core. You are not filling a 1/2” thick void with epoxy, you are simply injecting a thin film of epoxy between the foam and the fiberglass in order to glue the two components back together. This is really the only practical method for fixing soft spots.

sm


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 Post subject: Re: Crazy Idea
PostPosted: Fri Nov 10, 2017 3:16 am 
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Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2014 12:34 pm
Posts: 149
Location: Hartland, WI
You are trying to glue the layers back together... expanding foam would cause more separation as it would do the opposite

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JKK
83 yellow/ white decks Hobie 14 Corando turbo
82 yellow hulls Hobie 16 Cat Fever
84 yellow hulls hobie 16 Yellow Nationals
plus a few extras that I'm restoring


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