Need some repair advice

-- Last Updated: Apr-26-10 6:47 AM EST --

Yesterday I cracked one of the foam ribs in my Jensen ultralight kevlar canoe when we came over a shoal in a river.
The crack is straight across at just about the water line, and only shows on the inside, so there is no leak.
It is the rib that is just aft of the center thwart.

Do I just put a patch of fiberglass and resin over it where it is showing on the inside, or should I put one on the outside also?

thanks in advance,

JackL

Hi Jack, Inside only probably o.k.
… but for sure tap around the outside with your car key ( the best tool for the job ) and listen to see if there is any different, out of the ordinary change in pitch. Let me know if you hear somehting weird.



Also really look close @ the foam edges from the inside.

Possible to shine a flashlight through the hull ?

Thanks Pat
I put a strong spot light beam on the outside, and couldn’t see any place where the crack would be, and then tried that tapping method, and everything seems all right, so I went ahead and patched it on the inside.

If it falls apart in next Saturdays race, I am coming to get you!



Come to think about it a trip out to your neck of the woods might not be too bad.



cheers,

JackL

Something told me you were probably
already working on it this morning … Did you grind anything thing down to see about the foam on the inside there ? If you can see the edges @ the fillet and nothing bad, probably o.k. as above.



If it comes back, the core might be cracked or your patch needs a little more material … Unless it was because you hit somehting equally hard again …



Come on down to the land of OCs, you won’t stay mad for long : )

Nope, I didn’t work on it until
after I read your response.

Now I am eagerly awating to see if I will need another coat of epoxy after this one dries.



JackL