Re: [Paddlewise] Deck/Hull seam

Peter Treby wrote:

> I have problems with a fibreglass boat joined at the deck/hull seam with a
> vinyl "H" section extrusion, glassed over on the inside. The boat has front
> and rear bulkhead compartments, and the front one leaks through the seam. It
> is a small but chronic and annoying leak.

Not completely clear where the leakage is occurring.  Do you mean water in the
center compartment (the cockpit) leaks past the bulkhead into the front
compartment?  If so, just use some 3M 5200 (marine supply store) to seal the
leak.

Or, do you mean there is water penetration from *outside* the yak into the
interior (cockpit or front compartment) *at* the place where the bulkhead
crosses the H-shaped extrusion line?

If the latter, some breach of the internal glass covering has occurred.  In my
experience (limited to just a few Eddyline boats), this is very unusual.  I
had an older Wind Dancer which had major leakage at the seam you describe, but
it had been oil canned in surf (and subsequently dropped while half full of
water during leak testing -- ouch!), and the fix entailed hogging out the
glass covering and replacing it.  Certainly the worst repair I'll ever do. 
Think sore arms, fingers, hands, extremely itchy arms, and resin/glass all
over your arms.  Best to suspend the (inverted) yak at a height convenient for
sliding your whole upper body into the cockpit during resin/glass removal.

If you only have a small section which is compromised, and it runs on either
side of the bulkhead, then you will have to at least partially remove the
bulkhead.  Not so bad as what I did.

One last thought:  after hogging out the old (polyester) resin and glass, use
epoxy/glass for replacement, and wear forearm-length latex gloves to avoid
contact with the resin.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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