Fibergalls hull: Dent Update and ?'s

Thanks for the advice so far.

The boat is a Valley Pintail. It is a 2001 and has seen plenty of use but not abuse, driving it up on the rocks was a rareity. The first owner (a friend)took very good care of it. He had a new gel coat put across the very bottom to take care of a few star fractures and some typical gouges before selling.

Again:

It was on the foam block over a day and night and by no means over tourqued. The temps. were in the upper 80’s. The layout of my factory rack put the block just under the forward combing area. Widest and weakest part I know. This is where the flat spot appeared with a few small fractures in the new gel coat.

I have had the boat upsidedown for two 1/2 days and not seen a real improvement. Temps are in the 90’s.

I just don’t get it!

What could have happened …
without knowing all the details…



Was the boat sitting in the direct sun ?



Since a good portion of the boat’s weight ( and on the widest part) was placed on this one area while sitting on the racks or foam block WITH straps holding it down ( tight or not ) with the hot sun warming this exact area inside the cockpit. The boat’s resin simply heated up a bit, softened, warped a bit then cycled (cooled) in it’s new pressure formed configuration… AND since it cured @ a higher temperature it is even stronger in this new shape. Keeping it upside down in the hotter still weather is only solidifying this new shape.



Even if the c/p was covered or the boat was not in direct sun this is still probably the cause. Heat and pressure. If the boat has a dark color inside it would be even worse.

Urrrggghhh…Now what?
That is really frustrating. This has never happened to me before. I live in the city and have to keep it locked atop my truck.

I know J craddles would be best…What would be the sure fire, if any, method of repairing a flat spot?

Some ideas
After reading both your posts, it seems to me that there are two strong possibilities:


  1. If the hull is structurally sound the cultprit was probably your bow/stern lines. It doesn’t take much tension on them to exert a lot of bending force. Simply strapping a 'glass boat into cradles is not going to dent it, especially when it’s a Pintail.


  2. It seems quite likely that the hull was damaged in that area. The fact that new gelcoat was applied to cover spider cracks indicates that the area was most likely subjected to significant impacts. Unfortunately, it’s hard to see damage in a VCP hull due to the white resin applied to the interior, but you should look at it carefully from the inside for any signs of cracking or delaminating. While it may have been unintentional, the new gelcoat may have concealed significant hull damage. One way to test for this is to push on the area and compare how it flexes to other areas nearby. If it feels soft, the glass is damaged and the boat needs repair. The damaged glass will have to be cut out and new glass and gelcoat applied. I have some instructions on these subjects in Webshots albums at:



    http://community.webshots.com/user/brian_nystrom



    I expanded on gelcoat repair in an article in the current issue of Wavelength magazine. You can download it free at:



    http://wavelengthmagazine.com/



    BTW, J-cradles are NOT best, as they don’t conform to the hull at all.

Wow, Thank you
I just replied to a question in the other post about my bow line and how my forward shock cord provides the tension. (for about an inch until fully stretched then the handle cord is tight) I use this as my barometer to give a bit of wiggle room and assure I’m not torqueing.

Your advice though is right on. I need to get in there and look.

Needless to say I am pretty bummed. Thank you for your reply.

I have the boat in a nearly perfect set up currently. I’m using an FCS soft rack forward of my sun roof and the block aft of my C/P between my hatches. The boat is upside down and very stable with little need for tying tightly.



The FCS racks were originally for surf boards and loop through the doors. The straps are two 1/2 inches wide and the system is rated at 250 lbs. They keep the boat very low, 1 inch off the roof and conform around the hull. Nice system and road tested all through Nova Scotia with two boats, a VCP Anus and an Explorer.

That’s “Anas”…

– Last Updated: Aug-12-05 3:40 PM EST –

...unless you really don't like your boat. ;-)

I've got a Pintail and an Anas Acuta, so I would find that difficult to believe.

YIKES!
Your right, that “U” seems to jump from Acuta everytime…and I like that one the best!