Fiber cloth with epoxy on wooden hulls

[urisvan]

hello,
it is very common technique and it is especially being applied to used boats when they are taken to a comprehensive maintenance. it is being applied on all kind of hulls; strip planking, cold moulded and carvel planked hulls.
When it is time to make a comprehensive maintenance, the rotten parts of the wooden planking are changed then hull is sheated with one or two layers of fabric by using epoxy resin; then painted.
But, usually, it is applied on the outside of the hull. Sometimes varnish is being applied to inside or just paint.
what do you think about this application?
does fiber layer separate from wood after some years?
or does it have a advantage?

regards
ulas

[gonzo]

You can get a few years out of a more or less cheap repair. I used to do a lot of work boats like that. They would pay for the job with a couple of months working.

[Guest20100203]

There are many variables to this question. How sound was the hull before sheathing? What type of building method was the yacht constructed in? How tight was she before the sheathing? What type of sheathing material and resin? What other methods of wood stabilization were used? Etc.

In general, most conventionally built wooden yachts don't like to have hard, rigid plastic coatings applied. They tend to shed them fairly quickly, from wood movement. Some types of traditional building methods do lend themselves well to this treatment, such as strip planked and molded hulls.

Ultimately, it's less costly to perform proper repairs to a leaking traditional built hull then to 'glass it. This is because for the 'glass work to stay stuck, the boat has to be physically sound, which usually requires the same type of repairs.

Most apply 'glass sheathings to old yachts for two reasons. One is they would like to keep it for a little while longer, but don't want to make all the repairs necessary to get her fully sound again. A 'glass sheathing can buy you this time. Or secondly, they're falsely thinking they can make the boat more watertight with a sheathing, saving themselves haul outs, caulking jobs, etc. Neither is usually the case and before long the hand writing is on the wall and a new owner calls someone like me to fix it or drag her off to the land fill because it's too late.

[urisvan]

hello PAR,
first, if it is applied after proper wooden repair, is it convenient?
but we have to define what proper repair is? isn't it changing the rotten frames, stringers and rotten part of the planking
second, doesn't it necessary to cover both side of the hull? i know that on a wood/epoxy boat which is designed and constructed in that way, the woods are sealed with epoxy.

regards
ulas

[gonzo]

You can heavily laminate the outside of the hull and deck. The skin will take most of the stress. The thickness would have to be calculated according to the design and construction. Also, the better way is to cut open all seams and fill them with epoxy, so you have a single panel.

[apex1]

I never recommended sheathing a old woody, and never I will.

As Paul is´nt tired to tell the people, leave a wooden boat wooden! Repair should be executed in the same manner the boat was originally built. That lasts longer and keeps her value better, than any goo and cloth smeered on.

When cloth and resin was already part of the design, of course, we talk a different pair of shoes.

Regards
Richard

see you on Saturday Ulas

[gonzo]

I agree if you want a proper repair.

[teoman]

Sorry...moved as thread...