69 Chrysler LS 16 Repair

Hello,
New to this site currently starting a repair on a sailboat. Immediate repair needed is how to repair damage from hull and gunwale separation due to water damage to foam. Can I cut this out and dry it out? Will this come back into shape in order to seal it? I want to get this sail boat running soon to try out my Seagull Outboard Motor.

Patrick

 

Welcome to the forum, Patrick.

Are you saying that this is foam core construction, where the foam has gotten wet and then expanded?

Perhaps water got in and froze during winter months, then dirt an other debris got in through this new opening, holding it open. The more water got in and froze repeating the cycle.

A good way to test this theory would be to make a hook-like tool, insert it into the opening, then see what you can fish out.

If you get some twigs and pebbles, then your job is fishing them out. If, instead, you get only bits of foam, then there is probably no way to close this gap without tearing the boat apart.

If this is the case, the goal can become covering the gap to keep it from getting worse.

This could be as simple as covering it with duck tape, or as complicated as molding a GRP cap over the entire sheer.

 

Hull to deck joint failure. It seems need to remove the rail all the way around, clean out the area, see if it is wet. Dry it out, then brace the hull back into place to the deck, and fiberglass over the top. If the foam is waterlogged, you wont be able to dry it out, you have to remove it. Fix the hull, then think whether to put flotation foam back in or not. Maybe you can use pool noodles instead of pouring in new foam. I dont see how this can be a quick repair.

 

Patrick, repairing a boat that old and in that conditions is not going to be easy or cheap. Chances are that you could get a more serviceable boat by abandoning this one and finding one of the many reasonably sound boats that can be bought for a song. There are a bunch of decent boats that can be had for cheap in the Jacksonville area.

Strip off the hardware of the one you have and haul it to the fiberglass graveyard. the hardware has some value........but the boat........???

 

It's hard to tell with only a closeup photo. Can you take some overall views?