Delamination between hull and inner moulding.

[tom_sail]

After cleaning the bilges on our horizon 26 i noticed a small crack(2mm wide) running around the bilge sump. On closer inspection this seems to be where the inner moulding is joined to the hull. I have attached a photo if it helps.

Also worth noting is the square bilge sump is a different colour to the surrounding blue gel coat. All i can imagine is a previous owner had this problem and cut a section out.

As you probably guess im rather worried about this. Should i be? or can it be ignored.

Your help would be very much appreciated

 

[wklein]

After cleaning the bilges on our horizon 26 i noticed a small crack(2mm wide) running around the bilge sump. On closer inspection this seems to be where the inner moulding is joined to the hull. I have attached a photo if it helps.

Also worth noting is the square bilge sump is a different colour to the surrounding blue gel coat. All i can imagine is a previous owner had this problem and cut a section out.

As you probably guess im rather worried about this. Should i be? or can it be ignored.

Your help would be very much appreciated

I wouldn't be concerned at inner molding isn't structural, its just something so rest sole boards on and look pretty. Previous owner might have removed it to access deeper into bilge but thats it. Forget you ever saw it and put kettle on.

 

[tyce]

Non structual therefore no problem, its the hull that you need to worry about and that will be fine.

 

[tom_sail]

Thanks for the positive replies.

Would it worth running a filet of resin or filler around the crack just to stop water ingress?

 

[savageseadog]

I would suggest Sikaflex or similar polyurethane sealer because any slight movement will result in a crack again unless you go for full scale lamination. Make sure the void is dry before you do it.

 

[wklein]

Would it worth running a filet of resin or filler around the crack just to stop water ingress?

Water ingress from where? surely you want any water kicking around getting into the bilge so that it can be pumped out. Am i missing anything?

 

[Twister_Ken]

Water ingress from where? surely you want any water kicking around getting into the bilge so that it can be pumped out. Am i missing anything?

Don't suppose the OP wants his bilge sump to wick water elsewhere into the structure, which seems to be the concern here.

 

[tom_sail]

Yes ken that's correct. there's all ways abit of water there I do try and mob it up. It's fresh water I got a leak at the top of my water tank when heeled to port.

 

[tom_sail]

So I have spoken to few boat builders and people in the know and the general consensus is the stringer has come away from hull. Is this a common problem? Could someone recommend a boat yard in north Wales to get this repaired?

 

[savageseadog]

So I have spoken to few boat builders and people in the know and the general consensus is the stringer has come away from hull. Is this a common problem? Could someone recommend a boat yard in north Wales to get this repaired?

I can think of one I would positively discourage you from using.

 

[tom_sail]

I can think of one I would positively discourage you from using.

Feel free to PM me although I can probably guess!

 

[alteredoutlook]

Whereabouts has the delamination occurred?

If it is aft or towards the aft end of the keel it could be evidence of grounding during an accident.

On the otherhand it may just be because the bond between the hull and the sub frame has 'given up the ghost'.

Eitherway the solution is to remove the flange from the sub frame using a grinder. The join can then be re-established using layers of fibreglass/epoxy to create a 'more traditional stringer' rather than a bonded subframe. The benefit will be that you will end up with a far stiffer and stronger hull than was originally manufactured.

I suggest you take it to a number of repairers for their opinion.

Be warned - depending on the extent of the delamination and how much internal furniture has to be removed this may be expensive!

Fingers crossed for you!

 

[tyce]

I'd love to know how they have come to that conclusion.

 

[tom_sail]

Whereabouts has the delamination occurred?

On the otherhand it may just be because the bond between the hull and the sub frame has 'given up the ghost'.

The crack is just behide the aft keel boat although i think the latter and the bond and hull have 'given up the ghost'.

Heres a picture of another bilge on a horizon 26 (google image) the red line is the crack and the stringer runs across the boat.

 

[oldsaltoz]

The crack is just behide the aft keel boat although i think the latter and the bond and hull have 'given up the ghost'.

Heres a picture of another bilge on a horizon 26 (google image) the red line is the crack and the stringer runs across the boat.

Speculation on my part as I'm not conversant with the hull type, however, it dose look like a simple timber stringer that was glassed in with a poly resin.

Poly resin will not stick long term to timber partly because all timbers have some oil and partly because over time wate gets in and the timber rot.

This leaves you with a weak stringer because the timber was providing the stiffness, the glass was only a protective layer.

Common practice now is to stick a foam former to the hull and glass it with several layers of glass so even if the foam fails there are no problems.

Drill a small hole at the lowesy point just above the hull and check the moisture of the timber that is pulled out ny the drill bit.

You can rebuild the stringer or simply lay more glass over the whole thing.

Good luck and fair winds.