Sadler foam core construction

It depends on your definition of serious. I'd put it in the same area as osmosis. In foam sandwich construction the strength of the structure depends heavily on a good foam to glass/resin bond. Without the bond the strength is reduced to next to nothing. If the delamination is along the compressive or tensioned sections of the hull then its very bad, if its a piece of the deck then perhaps not so serious and parts of the hull somewhere in between. If caused by an impact damage then probably repairable, if caused by faults in the initial layup ( temperature, humidity, resin, pot time etc etc ) then walk away!

If it has already started in a couple of spots it may continue to develop and further deteriorate the integrity of the hull.

It can be repaired either by injecting resin and filler into the gap ( cheaper but heavy and 'blind' repair ) but the proper ( expensive ) way to do it would be to remove the delaminated areas and lay up fresh skins over the damaged area. You stand more chance of discovering if its widespread doing it this way.

Is the foam wet or damp, needs lots of investigating.

If you are not a 'project DIYer' or getting a serious discount on the price I would wait for another boat to come along especially if this is an early step into yachting. There are more and more boats on the market these days! That having been said, summer seems to have been and gone and you have all winter to fix things before you get a chance to actually sail /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I seem to remember from way back that Sadlers weren't foam core like so many modern yachts so much as foam insulated ie that the foam was not really structural. My understanding was that the outer laminate was strong enough on its own to be a hull if you see what I mean. But I might be wrong (not unusual) so I agree Mike Lucas is worth talking to.
 
Hi,

I own a Sadler - but not a foam cored one - but as far as I am aware the foam in the 26/29/34 Sadlers is in no way structural and only there to provide bouyancy and insulation.

As others have said you could contact Mike Lucas - or do a search on the owners ass website - http://www.sadlerandstarlight.co.uk

Solid boats though.
 
I would be more interested in the moisture content, most foam used in the older boats was not closed cell so will turn into a waterlogged mush.

Get a moisture meter run over the craft above and below the waterline, if any moisture is detected consider walking away.

Injection is cheap and often works provided all is dry; mixing epoxy resin and hardener then adding 30% methylated spirits and mixing in some micro fibres to a consistency that will dribble off a spoon can be injected over a 50 mm grid of holes. Start at the bottom and work up, tape the wet holes as you go.

If you decide to replace the foam, do the work from the inside and preserve the original hull finish.

Hope this helps.

Avagoodweekend......
 
What a load of ****. The Sadler hulls are sound (thick enough layup) without the foam filler which as others have said is primarily for insulation and bouyancy. If you poke around you will find the pour / vent points where the liquid resin was poured in (before it started to foam) to fill the voids between the hull and the inner moulding. The deck is actually foam cored and laid up as such. If the deck starts to delaminate or the foam starts to break up (usually just aft of the anchor well) it is a straight forward job to repair by epoxy injection and vacuum..

If the OP is worried he can always have epoxy injection although within the hull section I would not worry about it.

Again as others "in the know" have said, the OP should talk to Mike Lucas or post on the Sadler forum on Mike Lucas' website.
 
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As I mentioned in another post I am also buying a Sadler, a 32. It is very much reduced in price as it has water ingress through the chain plates. Plenty on this and other Sadler problems on the forum on Mikes website. First place I would look.

I think you are looking at a 29, the 32 does not have the foam in the hull but does have cored decks. I have seen a recent insurance survey that say the 32 has some flex in the decks, however it is says as they often do it is fairly normal for a boat of this age (1982)

Mike has articles on his site about the chain plates which can start to lift the deck, it is suggested you check to see if the deck is flat with a straight edge. All fixable though, the article tells you how.

Leaks seem to be a common problem, windows and hatches, and as I say the chain plates. I found the forum really usefull, at least I knew what to look for.

Good luck.
 
My Sadler 26 had voids below the waterline, starboard side, from the hanging locker bulkhead to the bow.

The yard cut out the inner mouldings to waterline level, both sides for good measure, removed the damaged foam core, replaced the mouldings and reinjected foam into both cavities. They also glassed in longitudinal stringers and cross brace(s) to stiffen the bow section.

I imagine the degradation of the core came about through pounding when going to windward

The whole job came to a shade under £2k in 2005
 
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