DaySailer.org Forum

Cleaning the boat a few days back I believe I found a hull crack. I don't seen any evidence of it on the outer surface of the hull yet but in this picture it looks to have extended a few inches out from the starboard bench.



My first reflex is to lightly grind down (what's left of) the paint around it, gently v-score the length of the crack, and cover it with a thin fiberglass patch. Does anyone have any advice on this kind of repair? I'm especially interested in making sure that the crack doesn't expand.

Thanks in advance.
.

Sand 1-2 inches around the crack and then check what the laminate looks like. Also try to push around there to see whether it feels firm or softer than other places.

Damaged laminate will look white, good will look dark/black under the paint.

Your general plan sounds good - if you diagnose considerable (i.e. deep) damage to the laminate or softness, then you may need to patch with more than one layer for more strength.

The location is a stress point because of the stiffness provided by the bench, so all things being equal it's not that unexpected to find some cracking.

(Come back if you need any more detailed advice on working with fiberglass/epoxy.)

Thanks for the advice. Once I got in there and looked closely I could see that it's not the hull directly. Its the fiberglass work that holds the bench to hull. Given how important that stiffens you mentioned is I'll repair it ASAP.
.