I have a '79 H16 that I mainly use at the beach. Does anyone know of an alternative to repeated "bottom jobs" due to sand abrasion on the hulls from beaching (besides beach wheels)? I would like to install some nylon or stainless steel runners along the bottom of the hulls to protect the gelcoat finish. Has anyone ever done or heard of this? If not, might this be a possibility? I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks
A few years back, I tried stainless steel runners on my G-Cat 5.0. It worked great, saving the hulls....except that in a few months the screw holes started to leak. I'm sure runners slow the boat down, too. Don't do it. LIve with bottom jobs. In the long run, you'll be happier.
John
ditto the last post. my 81 had aluminum runners attached with ss screws about every 12". they leaked. i removed them and epoxied the holes. the bottom job is not difficult, its a much less intrusive solution.
I've seen rubber or nylon (not sure the exact composition) strips that are designed for motorboats and jet skis. They are grooved longitudinally and adhesive-backed. The guy at the fibreglass shop tried to get me to put them on my 5.O, but I was too interested in racing. He insisted that they would not make any difference as far as sailing, but I had my doubts. They might be just the thing for a 16 that is sailed off (and onto) the beach all the time.
Check with your local West Systems epoxy dealer... I re-did my P16 hulls last year and I recall talking to the supplier about a carbon filler to thicken the resen. He said it would take a lot of abuse and has to be put on carefully because you can hardly sand the stuff... It is black, so I did not use it but it may be worth looking into for your boat.