SUNDOWNER Y86 Southwest Coast

[rob.lovelace]

did the track Phil

[Phillip]

Rob,

Has to be the hull/deck joint.

Get your camera/phone and go round and film the joint inside.
You should not have a gap between the hull and deck.

If you cannot find any gaps it may be weeping through.
Get a water hose with some pressure and get Luke to go around the outside forcing water in and around the timber strip at the hull/deck joint.
Get yourself inside, follow Luke around and try to see where it comes in.

Hope that helps, nothing worse than a wet boat!

[Shaun]

Great achievement Rob!!

Mk 1's must be built differently to Mk II & III's, I have a gap/void between hull & deck joint.
cheers

[Troppo]

When I was working on my wooden toe-rail some months back, I realised there were probable leaks to inside from the small bolts holding the wood to the fibreglass flange coming up from the deck. Some of the bolt holes in the fibreglass flange had cracked surrounds and when I opened them up a little to squeeze epoxy in, I found some voids going into the inside of the hull. The flange is the hull and deck joint I think.

I also cut a notch into the flange to make a drain to allow water on deck to flow off and found the flange was not solid but had a gap in the middle of it which was going to the inside. My boat is Model II. Had to fill that gap with epoxy otherwise my drain would allow lots of water inside. Obviously I did not just keep pouring epoxy into the gap until it filled up but used some cloth saturated in epoxy and pushed in. Later a top fill was put on and smoothed.

Next time she is out of the water I will take off the toe rails completely and check all the holes drilled through that flange.

Rob, your hull and deck joint may be weather proof but I know I was surprised to find out about the little leaks I had since it is hidden.

troppo

[Phillip]

OK,

Now I'm not saying this applies to all Formit Top Hats, but their salesman told me that some Top Hats [number unknown]
left the factory as Hull and Deck separate, not as a complete hull/deck.

Apparently there were problems latter with the amateur done hull/deck joints.
They did stop selling hulls and decks separately, so I suspect later built Mk3 should be OK.

So that's where those dry joints come from.

As Troppo has said, if you have consistent water problems you had better check that joint ALL round!

We have had several posts on this subject and I did a drawing showing the problem unfortunately I cannot locate it.
Shaun, was that on one of the older sites??

[frank]

I love reading all the posts on this site, you people have lots of info that is so helpful to prospective buyers like myself. This is why I want to bring my Toppie to my factory and pull every thing off it and basically refit everything back together watertight. peace of mind and a labour of love. Cheers guys.

[Troppo]

. . . .!

We have had several posts on this subject and I did a drawing showing the problem unfortunately I cannot locate it.
Shaun, was that on one of the older sites??

I clearly recall the drawing and I thought it very useful. Just gone through the 'Maintenance/Gear' section and can't see it. Used 'search' and can't find it.

I think it worthwhile if it could be found.

troppo

[Troppo]

Found one. Here's one diagram of the deck-hull join.

http://www.tophatyachts.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=843&start=10



troppo

[steve]

In the "drawings" sub-album of the Mark 3 photos library there is a drawing of how the factory did the hull to deck joint on Mark 3s.

Steve

[Troppo]

In the "drawings" sub-album of the Mark 3 photos library there is a drawing of how the factory did the hull to deck joint on Mark 3s.

Steve

This one I think.

troppo