Just bought a 1985 Nacra 5.2. Discovered that there's water sloshing around in one of the fwd hulls and it won't come out. There's a bulkhead just fwd of the mast that seems to be blocking. I was expecting there to be a hole for water passage front to back. Any suggestions?

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Pairajacks
1985 Nacra 5.2
Corvallis Oregon
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All the bulkheads in 5.2s I've seen (which isn't a lot, maybe 5) have a stringer of sorts along the bottom around the bulkhead that makes a channel for water to flow through. Do you have an inspection port behind the main beam to take a look?

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Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
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i think there should be a drain along the keel line under the forward bulkhead

perhaps it's clogged

compare left and right sides and try wriggling a bit of garden hose? up both sides from the forward inspection port

Whew; There is a small channel at the bottom of the bulkhead. I guess I need to tip the boat further.

There are some soft spots that I didn't notice before. One just fwd of the mast-crossbeam. I can hear crackling in some spots (side of hulls) if I push, but I don't see any cracks. This is dissapointing. I was reading that the foam-core boats like Prindle can be injected without too much issue. In places where there's access holes, is there a method to butress the side walls?

In areas where there is no access ports, is there a way to fix? I could imagine filling the area with a (light) foam, like the kind you use in homes around windows, and then inject.

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Pairajacks
1985 Nacra 5.2
Corvallis Oregon
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You might just have to clear it with a stick. Are they actual soft spots? That doesn't usually happen with pure fiberglass hulls. Not that the sides of an old 5.8 will 'oilcan' (deflect noticably) when you push or walk on them. I believe the crackling sound is also normal (someone else should speak up here). Worry if you can see stress cracks in the hulls through the gelcoat. At that point you have to cut out the cracked part and reglass it, no other solution. It's really not that difficult a task, but it is labor intensive and the finishing is a little tricky. Lots of youtube videos on how to do it blind.

Whatever you do, don't fill up your hulls with expanding foam!!! You will wreck your boat. The home depot stuff will hide any problems not allowing you to make a proper repair. It will also get waterlogged and weigh you down. You can get closed cell marine foam used for floatation (as I just recently learned) but again it will just hide the problem and not help your structural problem. Best solution is to bite the bullet, get yourself the west system kit and learn to fiberglass.

Regards,
Dave

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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The sides do oilcan in some spots (and crackles which to me means fracturing glass and lack of structure... is this really normal?) Good point about the expanding foam; I'll check the West System kit

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Pairajacks
1985 Nacra 5.2
Corvallis Oregon
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How serious is oilcanning/cracking? I'm not seeing cracks on the gel coat. I'm wondering what the pounding of waves will do to these surfaces. The West System kit involves cutting out affected areas; looks very invasive.

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Pairajacks
1985 Nacra 5.2
Corvallis Oregon
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It should oilcan a bit. If it crackles when you press it, you might wanna check to see if the stringer has broken free of the hull. I don't think the outer layup would make noise by itself without showing at least some crazing in the gelcoat.

I've held a camera down in the inspection ports and snapped several photos. With the flash you can get a surprisingly good idea of the condition of the hull.

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Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
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I dunno for sure because I have a solid N5.2 but cracking forward of the beams does not sound normal to me at all! I'd take the decks off and inspect it first hand before risking a hull breaking off with all the ensuing chaos (it has happened before). I took the decks off mine and found lots of hidden cracks and damage that looked superficial from outside which turned out to be structural on close inspection. The work was well worth the peace of mind. I removed the decks with a small chisel, a flat head screw driver and lots of patience. They went on with epoxy glue and i re-gelcoated with a roller and brush after it was thoroughly hardened and well sanded. Came out looking much better than it was and only had the boat on the driveway for about a week. The sanding required for finishing was the hardest part and the longest single task was procuring the materials, to put it in perspective.

Here is a pic of the hole/channel thru the bulkhead in my 5.2. It could easilt get clogged. You could use a fishing tool for running wires in a wall to clear it.



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Gray Amick
Chapin, SC
'77 NACRA 5.2
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Are you sure it is an 85?

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Nacra 5.2
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Yes, It's an 85.

Forward of the mast, there are no inspection holes to see if the hull has broken free of the stringer. (I assume the stringers are the rounded shapes that gcamick shows in his picture at the mast access hole looking forward. Do these stringers continue on to the nose of the hull?).

Past experience with another catamaran years ago suggests (to me) that this boat has been left sit in the sun. Is this a pretty accepted conclusion?

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Pairajacks
1985 Nacra 5.2
Corvallis Oregon
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can you see the stringers or not? 1985 is the year they switched to foam sandwich construction and those boats don't have stringers. solid 5.2's, with stringers, have numbers starting TRRC and foam 5.2's have numbers starting with N

don't think i've seen ports ahead of the beam in ANY multi

yes, the stringers are the half circle shapes and they go the full length of the hulls

i have a photo of the hulls of my 5.2 sitting in the garden iced up over winter with the ice patterns showing the internal stringers

yes, most beach cats get left in the sun, but no it doesn't seem to harm the structural frp but it will make the gelcoat chalky

That's a good thought. If you have foam sandwich hulls that would explain the noticeable soft spots. My hulls oilcan and may crackle a bit in a few locations, depending on what you consider a crackle (not in front of the beams!) but they definitely don't have soft spots. I'm not sure that the non-foam boats can have soft spots, they would likely just crack noticeably and fail.

Also don't be tempted to put a port in front of the front beam. I believe that is the highest stress location on the boat, so removing fiberglass is generally a bad idea (although I have seen it once or twice).

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Yes, my hulls have stringers; hull TRRC...

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Pairajacks
1985 Nacra 5.2
Corvallis Oregon
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Here is a thread about inspection ports in front of the beam.http://www.thebeachcats.c…ms/viewtopic/topic/11421

Hmm, probably a good idea to shove a camera inside the ports and take some pictures to see if there is any cracking or loose fiberglass. I know my boat deflects more than you would expect and can make some interesting noises. Haven't had a problem yet though... cross my fingers.

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Inspection port in front of main beam = sink.

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Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
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Quote

I'm not sure that the non-foam boats can have soft spots,

Yeah, they can Dave. I did a thread on the crappy patch the previous owner did on a finger sized hole, (photos in my album).
If the glass/epoxy has been stressed enough, the fibres break down & the area goes soft. I had about a 3" diameter area around the patch that was soft, you could easily depress it with a finger. I think if i pushed a bit harder, my finger would have gone through.
Cutting a hole large enough to get inside with a reamer, removing material, then reglassing & finally gelcoating this summer gave a patch that is stiffer than the rest of the hull. I turned a 1" hole into a 6" patch.

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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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I cannot imagine if you have a solid 5.2 then then it has to be the holesthat are clogged up. There is no other way for the front to hold water.



Edited by golfdad75 on Jul 10, 2011 - 01:12 PM.

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Nacra 5.2
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Edchris177

Quote

I'm not sure that the non-foam boats can have soft spots,

Yeah, they can Dave. I did a thread on the crappy patch the previous owner did on a finger sized hole, (photos in my album).
If the glass/epoxy has been stressed enough, the fibres break down & the area goes soft.

This is just a difference in terminology.

When we usually discuss "soft spots" it refers to delamination of the foam/fiberglass sandwich that makes up the hull/deck of most cats. Solid fiberglass can't get soft spots in the same way (because they don't have a foam layer) but it doesn't mean they can't get soft or go bad for other reasons.

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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