Undecided how to seal super structure ?

[ENAMOUR]

Hi to all, This is our first time on a forum and would greatly appreciate any help from you ! We have recently purchased a 48ft fibreglass powercat, and need to seal the superstructure.The cabin is mostly made of timber ply which was never sealed properly when built resulting in water damage and rot in some areas. We are tossing up whether to use the cabin as a mould and fibreglass over then dismantle the inside or cut out soft patches in ply, pull out windows and epoxy & cloth cabin to seal. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated or Pro's & con's with other methods.
Cheers

[Landlubber]

...all depends on how much you are prepared to spend....obviously you bought the boat cheap as a result, so if you can afford it, a new super is quite possible, or simply repair the old one if the design suits you. You have to decide if you really like what is there now, before worrying about the rest. Is it a flybridge or sedan.

Are there some pictures, to get a better impression of the task?

[PAR]

Once you 'glass over the cabin structures, why remove the plywood? Odds are your plywood structures are load bearing, so the laminate you apply will have to assume these loads if you remove the plywood. This raises an obvious question, how much fabric and resin will you need to apply to the plywood structures to get the same strength? Also will this weigh more then the plywood (probably) with a light sheathing?

My point is you sound like you are at the beginning of a project that of which you have limited knowledge. You need some education and some experience. The experience will come as you make repairs, the education can come from several sources. There are thousands of previous posts here that can help on many subjects that you'll be testing yourself with, such as resin system types, fabrics, fillers, "goo" procedures, plywood repairs, sheathings, coatings, encapsulation, techniques, etc. There are also several books that can be helpful too and the book store here can be a reasonable source for help.

As a rule rot is cut out, replaced with a good piece of similar material, then coatings or sheathings used to protect it. It's also helpful if you are specific about your particular needs, with pictures being especially helpful as they can describe a lot more then many paragraphs of text.

[gonzo]

I agree with PAR. It will pay for you to hire a knowledgeable person to inspect the boat and make a plan to restore it.

[ENAMOUR]

Thanks for your reply. Thats the problem it would be great to build a new super but time and enjoyment don't wait' so it's looking towards sealing the structure with a few mod's along the way. We already know the cost when repairing or refiting a boat from past projects. The inside is to have a refit as soon as we seal the cabin,then the rear deck. By the way it's a flybridge with glass roof will try to add pic's soon. What's your opinion on the latest materials to seal the super ? cheers

[PAR]

Epoxy encapsulation, with a 'glass sheathing is desired.

[ENAMOUR]

Thanks again,this has helped us to decide which way to go. We appreciate all feed back and will no doubt be seeking more great knowledge from you all at times Cheers