[Rhodes22-list] Murphy's Law revisited

[Jim Connolly]

The step is a simple repair.  Don't ask how I know :(

I filled the torn out screw holes with thickened epoxy and faired some
gelcoat that pulled off with the step.  Cleaned up the step and replaced
with the screws and a good amount of non-adhesive type caulk.

On the ridge, I would clean up the edges of the crack.  Starting from
underneath, apply epoxy and fiberglass tape to provide strength.  Fill the
hole with epoxy with colloidal silica for bulk.  Maybe more tape on top.
Fair the surface with epoxy and sandable filler (microballoons?) then paint.
Had to do this sort of thing a lot with previous boats.  Don Casey's "This
Old Boat" has a lot of guidance, and is in a lot of libraries.  West System
web site is also good.

Good luck and don't let it get you down.

Jim Connolly
s/v Inisheer
'85 recycled '03 

-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Joe Camp
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2011 7:35 PM
To: Rhodes List
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Murphy's Law revisited

Hi All:

The events I am about to recount took place on the July 4th weekend.  I have
waited a bit to put them down, partly because I was away from a reliable
computer and partly because leaving them alone for a couple of weeks has
allowed them to settle in my realization of the validity of Murphy's Law, an
axiom with which I am all too familiar.  OK...

I moved my boat from NC to PA. I am now back in NC (a bit lonely in sailing
terms).  And I have had time to digest the worst:  Never mind all of the
details, but suffice it to say that, while stepping the mast down, it came
crashing aft without warning and conked me in the head (a glancing blow, but
still an ouch). Naturally, I tore out the step, and when the mast hit the
pop top slide, it crushed a 6 inch hole in the grip-ridge (or whatever it's
called, used to pull the slide up and back) along the aft edge.  

Based on what I have read, the mast bracket will be a 1,2,3 fix.  Though I
would still like to hear from anyone who has first hand experience with this
repair.  The pop-top slider will be more difficult.  The ridge is hollow
beneath the surface, and it is broken right through. I don't know if this is
a "resin" sort of fix.  Is there something more substantial I can use to
mold a repair thick enough to take the wear and tear this piece usually
gets?

A long time sailboat friend once told me that owning a boat is a simple
mater of waiting for crap to happen.   I have the rest of the season to do
the repairs.  I also want to repair some scratches in the hull gelcoat.
 They are not deep, but through the paint. Are these something I can just
paint over, or will I need gelcoat for them as well?  I can send out photos,
but not till mid August, when I am back in the boat's neighborhood.  Thanks.

(the hapless)  Joe Camp
s/v John Dawson
__________________________________________________
To subscribe/unsubscribe go to
http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list

For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives go to
http://www.rhodes22.org/list
__________________________________________________