Catamaran fiberglass repair?

Question

I was just given a complete 18' catamaran with trailor.

One side seems strong, the other hull makes a crackle sound when I push on it with my hand (a good portion of the hull is this way). It's seems weak/thin and the bottom shows signs of a hasty repair. I'm not afraid to try my hand at fiberglass repair, but what is the best way to aproach this repair? Do the tops come off? is it filled with foam? should I even worry about moisture in it? It has been sitting in some brush for at least 7 years. Thanks for any tips.

Answer 1

There's a good chance like you said that there is water in there, so that must be drained out.  There is also a good chance that wood stringers support the hull from the inside, which are almost definitely rotted out.  My best advice would be to get a pro to at least inspect it with you, and let him know upfront that you want to try to do the work yourself.  I'm sure he could give you some good advice, money well spent if you ask me.  You don't want the hull to fail while you're out on the water.  You may need to completely refibergalss the outside of the hull to be safe, then paint it and gelcoat it.  This is of course after you drain any water from inside it somehow.  I belive there is a way to pump in a liquid foam, which you could do from a cap or hole on top.

Answer 2

That sounds like the boat was either dropped or it slid off the trailer.

Yes, the cap will come off the hulls, but not usually without a lot of persuasion. The cap will be fastened either with rivets or screws, and if the hull was filled with foam, it will have adhered to the underside of the cap.

If you're serious about the project, the best thing to do is split the cap from the bottom, pull out (any) foam (it is almost certainly soaking wet), and check out the condition of the inside. If it is crackling, it needs a couple layers of glass on the inside.... but here's your problem: whatever weight you add to one hull, you need to add to another, or you're going to have a bad list.

Answer 3

for safety reason's i would say use a better hull . dude you have probaly seen LAKE TRAVIS in the summer .  you dont want to take a unsafe boat out there. that is a recipe for  disaster. you have seen how many people get killed on that lake every summer!