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PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:00 pm 
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Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2017 6:56 pm
Posts: 6
So, I am at a junction.

1.). Sell the boat as is and never look back. Chalk this purchase up
as a learning experience about the H18.

2.). Look for a H18 port hull to replace mine.

3.) Ignore what you guys are saying and try my hand at patching it and rock on.


I really don't need a project. I have never seen an H18 for sale in my area, much less parts of one. So, I am thinking option 1.

I will post on Craigslist next week.

Thanks for your help.

I still want a sail cat. What do you recommend?

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1980 H18 - all original when purchases 04-2017.


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:18 pm 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
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Location: Jersey Shore
If you're 100% sure that the sides of the hulls (especially the region 2 feet in front of and 2 feet aft of the front crossbar) are still solid, then I would inject epoxy into the deck and see if it solidifies the soft spots. Any other repair is not worth it for an old boat that you only paid a couple hundred bucks for. A quart or so of epoxy is relatively inexpensive and you don't have a lot to lose at this point.

sm


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 9:17 pm 
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Joined: Wed May 25, 2011 3:15 pm
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Location: Buffalo, NY
srm makes a good point, if you try to repair it and it doesn't work, you're not out that much money in the grand scheme of things. Especially if H18's are hard to come by. In my area, it's relatively easy to find one for sale if you look around for a few weeks. If I didn't have the option of replacing it, I'd have to repair it. I do worry that the delamination may get worse with time, but you could still get several years' enjoyment out of the boat! Maybe by then you could find a good replacement for it!

And like srm said, as long as the hull is solid after the repair (no soft spot, no crunch) you can consider the repair as having been effective. If the soft spots are caught & fixed when they're small-ish (measured in inches, not feet) before they have much chance to grow, you could still be in good shape.

The H18 is a fantastic boat, probably one of the best options for getting into cat sailing if you're up for a moderate challenge and want room to grow. Otherwise, the H16 is a good choice too. I've never tried a Prindle, but I think they're decent boats. Hobie Getaway or Bravo would be an even easier boat to learn, but they're harder to find used and more expensive than a used H16 or 18.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 4:05 am 
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I will poke around on it again this weekend. If I don't find anymore problem areas, I may give it a shot. What epoxy would you use? I have used the 2 part resin from Rot Doctor for my other boat repairs. I don't know if it is suitable for this sandwich material.

Also, what is the best way to clean up the drilled holes after they are filled? I don't want it to look like it has been treated for termites!

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1980 H18 - all original when purchases 04-2017.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 7:48 am 
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Joined: Wed May 25, 2011 3:15 pm
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Location: Buffalo, NY
Injecting epoxy is fortunately pretty easy. It's best to cover the area with masking tape, as the epoxy will run out and/or drip on the deck. The "toughest" part is properly identifying the extent of the soft spot and carefully drilling the holes. Press on the deck slowly and methodically to determine the extent & size of the soft spot. Draw the outline of it right on the masking tape. Then mark your "breather" holes about ever inch or two all along the border, with a single hole in the center. When you do drill the holes, be VERY careful to drill only through the outer layer, with light pressure. Once it goes through, stop. The foam is very soft. Use the drill bit in your fingertips to drill out the foam. Once you're all set up, use plastic syringes to inject epoxy into the fill hole in the center. Keep going until epoxy starts to flow out the breather holes. Once each breather hole starts oozing epoxy, cover it with tape to force epoxy to the next one. Keep the drill handy in case some of your breather holes end up outside the soft spot... if that happens, you won't get any epoxy in or out, and will have to re-drill the hole closer to the center.


As for epoxy, some people recommend git-rot epoxy. I use west systems 2 part epoxy (105 resin and 206 slow curing hardener) with some filler (I think I've used the 404 filler in the past) to try and thicken it slightly and reduce the density/weight. Bought at West Marine with the pumps, it automatically measures out the correct ratio. Add epoxy and filler first, mix thoroughly until it's a syrup like consistency so that it still flows well, then add & mix in the hardener.

The drill holes can be filled with gelcoat or marinetex epoxy putty to make them less apparent if you want. Gelcoat would have to be color matched, which is a bit challenging, but you can buy it in a gel/paste form.


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PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2017 4:29 am 
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Well,
I found 20 or more places where the hull was crunchy....sides, insides, and tops. I cut off the front of one of the hulls, and verified that they were unsafe and not seaworthy. The hulls are safely discarded in the dumpster now.

Now....I have a complete H18 for sales, sans hulls.

Anyone need anything?

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1980 H18 - all original when purchases 04-2017.


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PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2017 9:21 am 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
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Location: Jersey Shore
Bummer.

But better to find out now rather than after you dump many hours and hundreds of dollars into a boat that couldn't be saved.

Where are the parts located?

Your other option is to try to find a source for hulls.

sm


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PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2017 9:26 am 
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I am 80 miles south of Atlanta. It was a hard decision to cut and run, but I felt like it had to be done. I have a proclivity to revive older things from the dead. I have restored everything from cars, trucks, boats, airplanes, troybilt tillers, engines, go carts, pumps, etc. I love to see things brought back to life. However, in this instance there was not enough bone structure to work with.

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1980 H18 - all original when purchases 04-2017.


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 5:16 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 14, 2012 2:03 pm
Posts: 17
I'm looking for roller furler assembly, and some other parts. PM me please


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