Sad Captain -> Happy Captain
Posted by FarAwaySailor@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 18 comments
I arrived at my boat in Auckland on Tuesday night and discovered this crack in the beam supporting the mast step (see rust above!). I am booked to check out customs for Fiji on Saturday AM. (Weather window, crew arriving). See second picture for how to make a stressed captain very happy!
KCJwnz@reddit
Do you have a life raft?
FarAwaySailor@reddit (OP)
I have 2
Accomplished_Fee9363@reddit
Pack crackers and water already
liyabuli@reddit
I think you should sand a bit more surface around it it and make the glass patch much much bigger.
FarAwaySailor@reddit (OP)
The beam is 8cm thick and has a solid wood core which is undamaged. The crack was only to the glass on that side. There is a lot of glass on it now.
Aware_Magazine_2042@reddit
Think about this a little bit more. The wood core provides structural stiffness to the component. This cracking happens when the glass is flexed beyond its breaking point.
So if the glass flexed beyond its breaking point, then something failed to provide stiffness. Since that wood core is designed to provide stiffness, and it did not provide enough stiffness in this instance, I’d assume the wood is compromised in some spots.
Of course, it could also be that the part was never designed to be stressed the way it was, and if that’s the case, I’m not sure that this boat is really designed to do major crossings.
FarAwaySailor@reddit (OP)
She survived the first circumnavigation and 47 years :)
Aware_Magazine_2042@reddit
Well then, that leave one other possibility…
Neat_Albatross4190@reddit
Is that rust the remnants of the steel mast step? Without process pics it's hard to evaluate much about that repair, but I'm not seeing much roving? Looks like mostly or all mat. I would love to hear more of your stories, the adventure sounds amazing, but I'm concerned by that repair to put it mildly, if you have process pics and are open to feedback, please let me know. Not as a paid thing, for free, because I'd hate to think that repair causes you grief in future and that's a high load area.
Plastic_Table_8232@reddit
Right on mate.
FarAwaySailor@reddit (OP)
There's some biaxial in there.
Neat_Albatross4190@reddit
I see. Well, I truly do hope for the best for you. One reason I'm a bit cautious about what I'm seeing is just having dealt with repairing a boat with a similar damaged area, it was repaired similarly as well, but unfortunately the repair failed rather spectacularly under load creating a lot of new damage including hull laminate fracturing due to the following: insufficient bevel to to the grind, unseen core damage and the repair was not carried far enough out with insufficient taper to the layers past the damaged area, and re-tabbing to the hull also wasn't carried past the originally damaged area far enough, no wrap to the top face either. Plus the layup was excessively resin rich so wasn't air rolled well enough).
liyabuli@reddit
Yeah sure, what do I know.
bill9896@reddit
It looks like you have totally blocked the limber hole, so now how does water drain down the bilge?
Plastic_Table_8232@reddit
Do you think that was a limber hole? Looks more like an exploring / selective demolition deal to check for moisture but maybe I’m wrong.
FallafelWallaby@reddit
Boatbuilder here. I hope you didn’t pay too much for that job. 😬
FarAwaySailor@reddit (OP)
The crack happened falling off a wave at 16kts (boat hull speed is 8). 4000 miles ago. Only found it this week!
Twit_Clamantis@reddit
Underrated comment (:-)