Advice needed please!

[Casey]

When I first bought Kala Sona almost four years ago she was ashore. Due to ill health of a much loved family member I did not get her in the water until August of that year and she dried out very badly sustaining some cracks in the cabin top sides. They are of solid mahogany and the cracks on the port side extend much of the length of the top and on the starboard side just the raised part. I (hope!) enclose a picture of the crack at the starboard after end of the superstructure and would like advice on the best way to repair it.

[http://arweb.co.uk/aralbums/album08/kalasonacracks.thumb.jpg]

My first idea is to rout out a piece then scarph in mahogany to suit but will that pass on the stresses to another point in the superstructure. A second suggestion has been made to clad the offending parts in thin plywood. The latter does not seem quite right to me.

Many thanks in anticipation and acknowledgments to Boatone for use of his web site to load the picture!

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[LittleShip]

Your photo will not show on that web site???

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I wish I'd been born rich instead of good looking ?

 

[ccscott49]

Rout out the crack, bore a hole in the end of the routed out section, fit a dowel in the ends, to stop the crack propogating and put a spline in, with epoxy. You will always see the spline, but it will not be too obtrusive.

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[Casey]

Sorry about that; here is the link again.



http://arweb.co.uk/aralbums/album08/kalasonacracks011204.thumb.jpg

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[ashley]

<hr width=100% size=1>A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a Unicorn

 

[tim3057]

I shouldn't have thought it would matter too much to 'pass the stresses elsewhere' - after all, you don't want any stresses anywhere near that crack! I have a couple of these, but I haven't worked out exactly what to do yet. I think it would be difficult to block each end of yours - it's not going to go any further is it!

Cosmetically, a veneer of ply would cover it, but I doubt it would hold. Would it be possible to chisel/rout out a straight 1" strip above & below, cut into 1/2 the thickness of the wood? You could then glue/pin in a 2" wide plank, perhaps 1/4" thick, and have a proper join.

I will watch this post for developments!

<hr width=100% size=1>Wayfarer Woodie done, now I need a new fix..

 

[trouville]

Looking at the photo, i wouldent worry to much i would sand all the wood takeing off that stain then varnish youll hardly notice the crack, if your worried about strength the you could add a backing plate and or put somthing such as barometer picture what have you to cover the backing plate, but i would just do a good job of sanding and not use stain.
If you really think the crack is anoying you can mix some of the dust from sanding (when you get to the correct coulor) and mix it with thin clear epoxy and paint fill,

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard