Windchaser: bilge reno

[Troppo]

More update:

The cause of the leak when on the slip trolley was easy to see once I was able to move Windchaser back further on the trolley. A very old crack underneath. The area in the bilge above this crack was where the soft black fibreglass rubbish was. And it was on the outside of the bilge on the wall above this point where the cracking happened when Windchaser came out of the water (see nxt post). I think that the seepage of water into maybe not fully wetted out fibreglass in the bilge over some years made it go black, like osmosis and weakened the whole area. That's why it flexed when on the trolley.

The cause of the bilge problems

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Ground the area back. Nothing on the other side where the crack was as the largest concentration of soft black fibreglass muck was right at this point on the inside.

After grinding

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The underneath section got several layers of fibreglass cloth with epoxy. I realised later that there was still a dent where the hole had been. Needs fairing but heck, I am still learning (and running out of slip time.)

After several layers of fibreglass and epoxy and paint.

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[Dolphin]

Louis, Lucky, were'nt you!

[Troppo]

Update (another one!):

Remember the outside cracking? It was caused by flexing of the wall of the bilge/keel when Windchaser went onto the slip trolley. As soon as I was able to move Windchaser back on the trolley so the beam was more under a stronger part of the stern, the bulge in the sidewall where the cracking was gone and the cracks closed up.

The flexing, I reckon, was because of the crack underneath which had allowed water to seep in for years and, again in my opinion, weakened a fair area of fibreglass which meant the weight of Windchaser allowed flexing which would otherwise have not happened.

The flex cracks were not all the way through the fibreglass. After grinding the area, I used several layers of fibreglass cloth and epoxy and used peel ply. I have never used peel ply before and I reckon it leaves a nice finish.

Outside area cracked by flexing.

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Not a perfect finish but running out of time and I am still learning. Still, it is much stronger than what it was.

Finished.

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[Phillip]

Well Done Louis,

Seems as though Bill was wrong about that black stuff being the top of the ballast.

I've also realized that the Mk 2 and 3 bilges will appear to be shallower because Formit LOWERED the cabin floor [because they lowered the cabin roof] to those marks when compared to the Mk1!

Good to see you have reinforced the rudder shoe fixings as well.