Repairing a stitch and glue ply epoxy dinghy

Kelpie

Kelpie

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Last year I built an 11ft nesting tender, to a design from B and B boats. 6mm Robbins ply with three coats of epoxy, laminated ash gunwales. Finished in 2 part paint.

I've absolutely loved using it over the past year. I live aboard so the choice of dinghy was quite a big deal. It rows, sails, and motors very nicely. And being a nesting dinghy, it fits on deck despite our babystay.

Yesterday it was in the davits when a large motorboat hit us from behind. The damage is in some ways less than you'd expect, but it's still pretty bad.

Ideally I'll be getting a pro to do the work and the other guy to pay for it, but I suspect that that route will all take too long and I'm better to just do it myself, claiming back the cost of materials and yard space.

Anyway, I was wondering if anybody on here had any thoughts on how I should proceed.

I've asked over on the B and B forum too but would really appreciate any thoughts. Pics on that thread:
Worse things happen at sea :( Repair advice needed.















 
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Guess it depends on if you want it back to original condition or not. If not then you might be able to push the panels together and use glass and epoxy over it. Personally I’d do it properly which will mean making hull moles to retain shape, removing and remaking gunwhale, removing the damaged panels and remaking them. That’s before you find any further damage. I reckon you’ve got at least 3 weeks work to get a good repair.
 
MY immediate thought was "O, that's not too bad; glass and epoxy will do it" But on looking further and noting the widespread damage, I don't think that's far off being a write-off. I think that to make a good repair that you'll be confident of would almost require rebuilding a quarter of the boat; there are sprung joints all over the place as well as the tear in the plywood. It depends what you want, but I'd be inclined to put it in the hands of your insurers, with a claim for the Total Economic Cost of the boat - which means materials AND labour, costed at an appropriate hourly rate. I think you'd come away with enough to buy one of Nestaway's boats!
 
Nothing that good strong bodge cannot cure.Yourin Spain and its August till September most places are closed .A backing plate a and screws and glue will put it right
 
At the moment my inclination is to claim as much as possible and then do a somewhat bodged repair. It is a tender and it primarily needs to be functional.

Does anybody know if insurance companies can pay for a courtesy dinghy...?
 
Quick and (slightly) dirty would be to screw ply panels over the joints outside and grind a shamfer on the inside (a sort of Payson Scarf) then lay up glass and 'pox. The sprung hard wood to ply joints could be opened a bit more and resin injected in, then clamped.

But, the guy should pay for a boat 'as was'. Insurance might take a while in Spain....
 
Kelpie said:
At the moment my inclination is to claim as much as possible and then do a somewhat bodged repair. It is a tender and it primarily needs to be functional.

Does anybody know if insurance companies can pay for a courtesy dinghy...?
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I thought most boat insurances excluded a replacement whilst being repaired - but it might be different if you can claim off t(e other party.

To be honest perhaps try to buy a cheap inflatable to use in the interim, as this can be stowed away when the wooden one is repaired.
Indeed, as you are realising, there is a lot to be said for an inflatable dinghy acting as a large rear fender on the davits
 
From experience fixing Mirrors and the like, it's easy to do ugly and functional but making good to original is basically making a new one. Maybe get a professional to give a quote high enough to make it an economic loss, then buy it off the insurer of 1 euro (its not worth more IMO) and crack on. You had the ideal dinghy, he destroyed it, his insurer gives you the value of the boat to you. Given the potential cost of yacht impacts 1.5K to 2K for a bespoke hard dinghy seems easy let off for them.
I like an inflatable but they are not the same as a good hard one .(missus)
Basically wot Antarctic Pilot said but with added innuendo
 
When I was researching what dinghy to buy or build, I got a quote for someone to build it for me- £2500 for the basic build, £3000 finished and painted.
 
Get every penny you can out of the idiot and try to find an equivalent ready to go or commission one.

. . . not easy in Spain/Portugal though.

You need it fully functional before you cross at the end of the year.


- W
 
Once your away on your world cruise these minor problems will crop up looks not too difficult to mend now you an get to the shore.Had a similar dinghy breakage in Galicia years ago just use local material and don’t gettooworried about insurance pay out
 
Another update.
B and B Designs, from whom I bought the plans, have recorded a lengthy video for me, going through the photos one by one.
I never expected this level of support and on both a practical and emotional level it's been a huge boost. So I am very very happy to recommend the company if you are considering building from plans or a kit. Just superb service.

Anyway the diagnosis is not too grim. Not a write-off. I've now got very detailed instructions in how to proceed with the repair.

It's tempting to take the mobo to the cleaners and squeeze as much out of him as possible. But that won't get my boat back. And the boat was chosen very, very carefully. There is no off-the-shelf option that will do what I need; basically, I want a rigid dinghy that will fit on deck despite my babystay. And the sailing option is a big bonus too.

I could try to get it repaired but realistically anybody who has space on their books in August in the Balearics is probably not someone I am likely to trust. So I can spend my energy and time making phone calls and getting in to arguments, or I can just roll up my sleeves and just get on with it.
 
Wansworth said:
Once your away on your world cruise these minor problems will crop up looks not too difficult to mend now you an get to the shore.Had a similar dinghy breakage in Galicia years ago just use local material and don’t gettooworried about insurance pay out
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That was a beautiful and incredibly useful dinghy that Rob spent a long time planning, building and finishing. HIgh capacity, stable, motors well, sails well, rows well.

Just accepting that less than a year later it is doomed to become a tatty, structurally weakened and much heavier wreck because some idiot in a half million pound gin palace doesn't know how to anchor doesn't seem a reasonable position to me. It is a fallback position if nothing else can be achieved, but let's at least encourage the OP to believe he might be able to make it good as new.

EDIT
Great to hear of the support from the manufacturers of the kit. Cruising - just another word for fixing boats in strange places.

- W
 
Looks to me as if it would be a write off if you went for a professional repair. I would agree a figure for total loss with the insurer and then do the repairs yourself.
 
Do we know it was a multimillion pound super yacht in the hands of some rich tycoon………maybe itwas an accident.The important thing is the dinghy can be fixed worse5hings happen at sea
 
Wansworth said:
Do we know it was a multimillion pound super yacht in the hands of some rich tycoon………maybe itwas an accident.The important thing is the dinghy can be fixed worse5hings happen at sea
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It was a very large and very new mobo on a multi-day charter, with a freelance skipper. There are some deep pockets and at least three different insurance companies with potential to cover. But there is also the apparent inability to get anybody to even look at the damage, and I have five weeks before I leave the island. And in the meantime I have a crappy borrowed dinghy...
 
Exactly is August in Spain very little happens and it’s all very lax yourin Spain…….mend the dinghy to your best and don’t get hung up on getting money out of an insurance company in August
 
Wansworth said:
Exactly is August in Spain very little happens and it’s all very lax yourin Spain…….mend the dinghy to your best and don’t get hung up on getting money out of an insurance company in August
Click to expand...

You think he should just suck it up and let it go?

He may end up having to, but in the meantime I would make as much fuss as possible. Perhaps pressure the owner/skipper just to settle for cash?

Rich buffoons constantly get away with making poor peoples' lives miserable is intolerable.

Perhaps time to mount a bow chaser.

- W
 
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