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Wilke Nelson
Centreville, VA
Boat Name: Trilogy
Model/Year: 1976 Catalina 22
Hull No. CTYH6055M76H
Hailing Port: Alexandria VA |
 04/21/2013 11:41 AM Pacific Time
I recently bought a good condition 1976 Catalina 22 here in VA where I live. Oddly, it came with a permanent head and it couldn't have been an add on as it is pictured in the original manual that conveyed with the boat. There is no holding tank so it is illegal to sail on the Chesapeake Bay. I took the toilet out but now need to figure out how best, cheapest and safest way to fill the remaining throughulls (intake about 1/2" in diameter and outfall about 3" diameter. A friend suggested I get some wooden bungs (tapered plugs) fill the through hulls with thickened epoxy, then tap the bungs into the hole leaving about 1/2 inch between the bungs and the outermost layer of the hole. Then to fill that remaining 1/2 inch with thickened epoxy, sand away a circle about 12x the diameter of the now filled throughull and glass it over.
Has anyone ever confronted this repair and does this seem like a viable way to go? I can't access either of the throughhulls from einside the Boat
Thanks! |
Greg Baker
Charlotte, NC
Boat Name: Sea Sharp Minor
Model/Year: Catalina 22 - 1984 - Swing Keel
Hull No. 11823
Hailing Port: Lake Norman Sailing Club |
04/22/2013 7:14 AM Pacific Time
West Systems epoxy has a pretty good article on filling machined holes (as opposed to punctures) on their web site. Check the last part of this article:
http://www.westsystem.com/ss/repairing-machined-holes-in-fiberglass/ |
Lynn Buchanan
Nevada City, CA
Boat Name: SAILYNN
Model/Year: SWING 1984
Hull No. 11994
Hailing Port: SCOTTS FLAT LAKE, CA |
04/22/2013 5:10 PM Pacific Time
Our latest boat #2170 had a head with thru holes installed for discharge and water intake. It's a 1973. The overboard head had been long replaced with a porta potti. I don't understand how the thru holes could not be accessible. Ours were in the v-berth and had a gate valve (like lawn faucets that leaked) on the head discharge. Where are your holes? Not wanting to replace ithe leaky valve, Dale sawed off the gate valve and we added a cap and epoxied it into place. Will fiberglass the bottom later on when there is more time. The water intake valve is not leaking, so for now it is just in the closed position, but will probably see the same fate later on. We monitor for leaks everytime we go out and have backup bungs for the thru holes. It's prime sailing season here, so fiberglassing the bottom of the boat will have to wait till the end of the season, as long as we don't see water in the bilge. Hope this helps. |
Larry
Greenville, SC
Boat Name: Kemo Sabe
Model/Year: C-22 , 1973
Hull No. 2229
Hailing Port: www.keoweesailingclub.com |
04/23/2013 6:09 AM Pacific Time
What I did on #2229, a 1973, which had the same situation as you.
Marine Tex: 1. Removed everything from the inside, including the plumbing, which all went through the porta potty forward wall, then was plumbed in the hull, not through the liner and then hull.
2. Cleaned up the wholes from the inside, as best as possible with paint thinner, I think. Could have been acetone, but doubt it.
3. Roughed up the interior around the holes for, maybe 6-8 inches. I used a sander, very gently, and lightly.
4. Cleaned up again with paint thinner.
5. From the bottom, outside, I taped across the hole with some electrical tape, I think, so that whatever I did would be supported from the outside. The wide Gorilla Tape sold now a days would be great for the outside seal. You just don't want the work to fall out, or sag, if possible, but a little sag won't hurt. Overlap the hole a bit. Just use your common sense on that.
6. I mixed enough Marine Tex to fill both holes, and filled the holes gently, and as smooth as possible.
7. After it had kicked off, and was hard as steel, as it is advertised, I covered the area in fiberglass and epoxy. I imagine some normal 'epoxy' which is sold by your hardware store would be just fine. I put a short, layer over first, then covered that by longer pieces. I used the bias plied-fiberglass, not the cloth. Put as much as makes you feel like it will stand a good pounding from rough seas.
8. Let it kick and then fair it with a sander as much or little as you want to make a finished looking, interior floor.
9. From outside, looking at your work, you will find the taped Marine Tex filling the hole. Remove the tape. Check to see how smooth the finish is. If you did a really good job and made a tight tape 'dam' over the hole, it will have a fairly smooth surface, with only a slight 'gravity-pull' bulge. If the look suits you,it will be just fine, otherwise you can sand or fair it, but the MARINE TEX WILL BE HARDER THAN THE HULL, SO BE CAREFUL AS YOU FAIR. That's why you want to do a good, firm, tight tape of the hole before beginning.
Good luck,
Kemo Sabe |
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