Last Fall my newly aquired Prindle 18 took on water in both hulls and I barely made it back to the boat ramp. After finally getting the boat loaded up on the trailer I discovered the starboard hull was separating between the upper deck and the lower hull in the seam behind the rear crossbar on the inboard side. I never did find any place the port hull could have leaked.
Last month I finally had time to do some repair work. I rebedded all the gungeons and replaced both drain plug assemblies. I used a dremel tool and cleaned out the seam and filled in the gap with Marine-Tex and used clamps to hold it together until it dried. Afterwards I pushed around on the repaired and area and I was sure it was fixed.
Today I found out I was wrong, very wrong. I took the boat out in 10-13mph winds and everything was going well for around thirty minutes. The boat was fast and responding well and life was good. Then I realized the dolphin striker was splashing up water more than earlier. After looking around I realized the boat was sinking..yet again. I was around half a mile upwind of the boat ramp. Sitting all the way to the forward crossbar of the port hull I managed to get the boat back to the ramp. By that time the starboard hull was all but under water. I dropped the sails as my friend went to back the trailer so we could load up the boat. She was having a tough time backing so I went to help guide them down the ramp. With the trailer finally in position I turned around and the boat had rolled over with the port hull in the air, all the starboard hull but the very tip of the bow was under water and the boat was trying to slide into deeper water. It took everything I had to get the boat righted then back on the trailer. Sure enough the same seam had split open and allowed water in the hull. It took around 20 minutes for the water to completely drain out once it was on the trailer. The port hull had taken on some water but not nearly as bad. Now I'm looking for some good advice on to make strong solid repairs. What kind of materials will I need? I'm suppose to take the boat to the Texas coast in two weeks but now I'm afraid the waves and wind will be too hard on the boat. I've been fortunate so far but I'm not willing to press my luck. I took pictures of the seperated seam but not sure how to load them in this post?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Steve



edited by: SteveON, May 02, 2010 - 11:44 PM

Photos would help. There is not much load in the area behind the rear beam, look at the rest of the hull for soft spots. Maybe the hull is flexing somewhere else causing the split.


You might find something that would help in here.
http://www.thebeachcats.c…pictures&g2_itemId=10570



edited by: skarr1, May 02, 2010 - 11:27 PM

Put your photos on the web. They can be put on this site or someplace like flickr. You can find how to start a folder here. http://www.thebeachcats.com/FAQ-id_cat-3.html

Once they are on the web right click on a photo and copy image location. Back on the forum, left click image, this will put the code [ img][/img ] in the text box. Paste image location in between.



edited by: skarr1, May 02, 2010 - 11:43 PM

looks like you will be injecting resin into the repair area. this involves drilling some small holes and filling voids with resin(regular fiberglass resin or upgrade to west system epoxy with coloidal sillica added). this is done with a big syringe. check out my album in the members gallery titled prindle 16 paint and repair and holler back, i'll get into more detail then...its really not a difficult repair at all. good luck!

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bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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Thanks everyone for your help and info. I created an album in Beachcat members photos: Steve's Prindle http://www.thebeachcats.c…pictures&g2_itemId=73203
It shows pictures of the splitting seam.

coastrat I checked out your album. Your finished Prindle looks great!! After viewing you album I have a much better idea on how to make an injection repair. Do you think I would need to reinforce the area on the upper edge (curved area) of the bottom hull with a couple of layers of 2" fiberglass tape (on the outside) since it seems to be that area that is separating/flexing? Should I consider adding some type of SS fastners through the seam (deck to hull) to prevent the hull from separating under load? Or do you think the injected epoxy would be enough to stiffen the area?

use a combination approach: drill the resin holes only deep enough to get to separated area(not through bottom layer) about every 2 inches. hole size just slightly larger than syringe spout. inject resin til it flows out adjoining holes and cracks. use a course threaded drywall screw with a small pilot hole to tighten upper to lower. let cure to hardened. remove screws and fill screw holes with epoxy/sillica mix, also top off drill holes with epoxy/sillica mix. you can/should use epoxy/sillica mix but its pricey and you need access to west marine. i used regular resin on deck lid repair for shortage of epoxy. you can tap on area to hear loose spots, make sure you get it all filled in. that should do it. notice blue tape around all repair areas, this keeps resin off of hulls and makes for a clean repair. i'm going to post some pics of the west systm epoxy and syringes. i'm not the best teck manual writer so if you have ?'s i'll send you my cell no. and i can walk you through it. i love the smell of resin in the mourning!

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Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook!
bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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coastrat-good info! Drywall screws-check! Blue painters tape-check! Drill bit and drill-check! I went to West Marine this afternoon and picked up a couple of types of epoxy. A quart of West System 105 epoxy resin, a pint of 206 (slow) hardner, and a can of 406 colloidal silica filler to thicken up the mixture. I also picked up some syringes, rubber gloves, mixing cups and some laquer thinner.
I also bought a West Systems G/flex 650k repair kit. I saw a video of it being used on youtube and it seemed very strong and flexable ( but do I need the repair to be flexable or should it be rigid?). A full discription can be found here:

http://www.gougeonbrothers.com/G-flex/description.html

Which do you think would make a better repair?

I went to the lake and brough the cat home from storage and hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to start reapirs. I'm a little concerned about any moisture that might be in the seam but I figure with 48 hours of dry time in 80 degree weather should take care of that. Anything else I might have missed? I plan on taking pictures as I go, maybe it can help someone else down the road.
Steve

I've done two repairs of hull/deck separation. A P-16 last summer and another this Spring. Last summers repair was tested for full day & boat had no further failure. 2nd one has not been tested. I flipped boat upside down, injected West epoxy with no colloidal particles with large (35 cc) syringe into all seperated area. Webbing tie-down straps were then tightened every 10" of separated area. Next day another coating of epoxy on entire crack area to seal it. Repair area was about 4-5' and boat was hard sailed a week later with no problems. 2nd one of more extensive separation has not been tested yet. Pete

i kinda like petes technique of upside down hulls. think the harder resin would do better than flexable. use your noggin and think the repair through before you start, pete has been there and done that and thats a good thing.

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bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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prindle pete..thanks for the specifics on how to make the repair. Did you have to clean out or sand in between the hull and the deck before applying the epoxy? I was kind of worried straight epoxy might be too thin and simply run inside the hulls rather than fill the gap? Do you have any pictures of the repair in progress? (fingers crossed).

coastrat..good feedback. I wasn't sure which epoxy would work best seeing how most small boat hulls seem to have a little flex in them. I'll go with the WS 105 for a stiffer repair.

I'm grateful to have this website to learn from. Everyone is so helpful and willing to share knowledge and experinces. Makes boat ownership/repairs much more enjoyable.
Thanks!
SteveON

Did no cleaning out of rack, just injected. I think the key was second application so that there was no more running down inside, just filling up surface of crack so no chance of water getting in was important. Get the cheap orange tiedowns from Harbor Freight. Pete

prindle pete- got it. Hopefully later today I can get started. Would really like ot get her repaired and test sailed before the coast trip!
SteveON

SteveOn I just did an injection repair and everything went great. I went to Walmart and bought a meat injector (For injecting flavoring in to meat), cut the the sharp tip of with a cut off wheel and it work perfect. I think that I used a 1/8" drill bit and the needle on the injector fit it perfect.

Blue painters tape is key to have a nice clean repair.

this may not apply but some cold beer seems to help! good luck, i'm interested in this repair because i haven't done this one before, repaired most all other areas of hulls before so i'm watching and learning. you got the right spirit and that should carrry you through!!

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Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook!
bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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Thanks! I just found out I have to leave town tomorrow for the day but have all day Thursday and Friday to work on the boat. I'll try and take pictures as I go. I'll post on here as I make progress.
SteveON

• http://picasaweb.google.c…jw3Qjwmw?feat=directlink

thuff- thanks for the link. Looks like a pretty remote place to be doing major repairs. I have never taken the Prindle apart but was thinking it might be easier to work on each hull seperately than as a unit. How much trouble is it to separate the hulls from the crossbars/trampoline? I was hoping to get started on repairs today but got called into to work. Hopefully I'll start tomorrow.
Steve

The remote place is the center of landsailing in the USA, Primm, Nv. forty miles south of Vegas. So in the morning as the sun heats the desert dry lake, we inject epoxy. Then jump in a 3 wheeled cart with a 4.2 meter sail and wear off a little rubber at 40 mph. About a 100 landyachts appear here every year last week in March with races nearly every day. Hotels are $15/night during the week. Last year a new world record was set at 126 mph Pete

~~ Catamarans in a desert????? waitin for a flood??? dry run???
Hey someone had to say somin !!!

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~ Vietnam Vet 69-71~ 17 Hobie w/big jib, ~18 Hobie mag,~DN Ice sailor,
and other toys.......
~~ I live in NY state on the north shore of Oneida lake in
Bernhards Bay. ~~~~~~
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Pete- sounds like fun. I can't imagine doing 126 mph on wind power alone. That must be a rush. Good that the local comunity supports the event.
How hard is it to take apart the Prindle so you only have to deal with one hull at a time?
Steve

1/2 socket on top and 1/2 wrench on inside nuts. Screwdriver will probably not turn REAR inside bolt. Instead turn NUT with open end wrench. Clean corrosion off all bolts on wire wheel of your grinder. To put back together, wrap masking tape around 1/2 wrench, insert nut, put sticky substance (toothpaste, whatever) atop nut, then washer (so it sticks), then carefully feel for bolt inside hole. Fallen washers & nuts can be retrieved by tipping hulls on side. To put tramp back on, get 1/8" & 5/16" rope from Home Depot. While you're at it, buy 1/4" line also from H.D.and drill 3/8" pairs of holes on outside gunwale for footloops when on trapeze, but also very handy manhandling boat onto trailer or on beach. Pete

pete-thats exactly the info I needed...thanks. After looking over the seperated area and considering the space I have to do the repair (maybe the lack of space) I am going to try to repair the split seam with the boat assembled and on the trailer. I live in a "upscale" appartment complex(they won't even let me keep the boat here) so tearing apart a boat in the parking lot would be would be frowned upon.