Deck Hull joint integrity ?

[Topi]

Our new Top Hat Mark 1 has no timer strip on the toe rail, it was removed with the intention of placing on a rubber strip instead. I noticed that there are lots of holes through the GRP tongue where the timber mounted. Are these screws that hold the timber strip on also part of the integrity of the hull to deck joint ? I know there is also adhesive used and the inside cabin the joint is fiberglassed taped as well.

If the screws are not structurally required then I will probably opt for adhesives for the rubber with just the occasional screw. If they are structural then I had better revise the plans.

[Phillip]

Topi,

Mark 1's usually have the joint covered by a strip of SS which is pinned and the pins roved over, ie permanently!
Look here.....

Seaka's bow.

DSC03165a.jpg (125.57 KiB) Viewed 5554 times

If there are any gaps you should seal them off with fiberglass resin befor you apply another rubbing strip.

[Topi]

Wow, it has nothing like that. Just GRP.

Note the old bit of teak bump strip in the photo, that is the only bit remaining, It was left there as a sample of what was.

[Phillip]

Mmmmmm..

That photo sort of changes the story.

Do you know who built your Top Hat and WHEN?

[Topi]

No Idea, a survey report says 1976, but I do not know where he got that from.

[Phillip]

Topi,

That will mean that your Top Hat is one of the six or eight Mark 1's that were built by Formit, most probably in 1972,
unless someone made a special order in 1976, but I doubt that very much.

This would also explain the timber rubbing rail and the other diferences I have seen to your deck layout.

I would be interested in seeing a photo of the rail that supports the forward locker boards.
This is what Seaka's looks like.

locker rail forward Mk1

Mk-1-longitudinal-rib-2.jpg (394.48 KiB) Viewed 5536 times

[Topi]

The ungelcoated bit in the photo, is that the hull below water level or is that part of the deck to topsides join ?

1972 edition. That is a start. The guy doing the boatcode asked about the maker and I had no idea, nothing written anywhere either.

[Phillip]

Topi,

Its inside the forward cabin.

Forward cabin of Seaka

Mk-1-longitudinal-rib-1.jpg (446.31 KiB) Viewed 5528 times

[Topi]

Ok a photo of that is now on my list for Sydney.

[storm petrel]

Topi,

Sure it is not a Mk11? They were built and sold from November 1972 by Formit and had a teak toe rail screwed to the gunwale. Or perhaps it was one of the Mk1s made at Formit as Phil suggests because they used the timber toerail on the Mk2s they built and may have tested the idea on the few Mk1s they built.

Cheers,
Mark
(Mk11 )