A friend of mine gave up on repairing an Aus Cat (similar to an A Class Catamaran)and gave me the boat with all the parts. I'm not sure how this boat got to New Hampshire from Australia, but I am trying to fix it up and plan to sell it.

I replaced the trampoline tracks and sealed up the seam between the fiberglass hulls and plywood deck with 3M 4200 and repainted the decks. I sailed it last week for two days and left it on a mooring in 30 + mph gusts. Well the port hull took on water and sank.

The cat is back on the trailer and I am starting to work on it again and have a few questions. Someone had used silicone sealant on holes for the old rudder system and the cat was converted to take Hobie rudders. Once I scraped away the silicone, water poured out of the old screw holes. I plan to fill the screw holes with Marine Tex and remount the rudder. I am wondering how to reseal the fiberglass hull to the plywood deck, from the rudder mount to the tramp cross bar. Should I fiberglass the seam or just epoxy and silicone sealant? Any other thoughts? The hulls are yellow and the decks black, so it would be a bit challenging to repaint over the fiberglass.

I want to fix this boat up so it doesn't sink for the next owner. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

With no replies so far I think we are going to need pictures to give any good advice.

Out of everything the only thing I can say for sure is don't use Marine Tex for permanent repairs. It's great for quick fixes or to fill a nick in a daggerboard but for your sterns sound like you need to remove everything and inspect. Maybe drill out the old screw holes and fill with resin or epoxy.

Pictures would help a lot for repair advice, and I'd like to have pictures of the Aus cat in the "Beachcats Identification" album, never seen one. You said "like an A Class" but it has plywood decks? Sounds home built. What is the rig like? Any logos on the sails?

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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Here is a photo of the home made catamaran that I referred to as an Aus Cat (in the foreground and my Trac 16 behind). It was made in Australia and has an "A" symbol on the sail. I used epoxy in the seam between the hull and deck and cranked it tight with ratchet straps and then used 4200 sealant on the seam. My friend sailed it yesterday on a nice, windy day and the sealant cracked. I think the hull was flexing pretty good in the 10 - 15 mph winds. Any ideas on how to permanently fix the seam? We have it duck taped for now so he can sail it this week.


Beach Cats on Squam Lake by morsephoto, on Flickr

Does it look like the deck can be removed? Probably be better to get it off and inspect everything, then re-join it properly with epoxy.

Sounds like a good winter project, has winter started there yet?

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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Winter will be here soon enough! I'm not sure how you would remove the deck without destroying it or the hull. It is only separated from the stern to the cross bar and the rest of the pontoon is fine. I am surprised the epoxy didn't hold. Thanks!



edited by: SquamTrac16, Aug 25, 2010 - 12:10 PM

SquamTrac16

It is only separated from the stern to the cross bar and the rest of the pontoon is fine.

Andrew Scott....

I second damon's statement. Clean it well and use a good marine epoxy then the repair will be permanent. 4200 or 5200 is too flexible for a structural repair. Marine tex will likely hold in the screw holes, but as long as you are mixing up some marine epoxy you might as well do those also. Before removing the decking you will have to determine how it is attached. If it is just sealant you can likely chisel it off slowly. If it is epoxy it will be more difficult... you may have to cut into the seam a bit under the deck with a thin grinder wheel. Do a little more research before going down this road becuase once you start you are committed.

And pontoon's are on pontoon boats catamarans have hulls. Andrew has corrected me enough times so I might as well.



edited by: Wolfman, Aug 25, 2010 - 06:18 PM

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Thanks for the info and for explaining why pontoon was so funny. Happy sailing!