Talk Composites - The Forum for Advanced Composites

Boat hull holes repair upside-down

http://www.talkcomposites.com/Topic37372.aspx

By hannu - 7/5/2020 6:33:43 PM

Hello.
I would like order your Resin Infusion Starter Kit with Vacuum Pump EC.4 + needed fabrics, but I do not sure if it works and could solve my problem.
Just asking how infusion/vacuum works if the material is upside-down? Please see enclosed attachment of the problem and how I think repair it step by step, but problem is this upside-down. There is two possible page 3 (Step 5 and 6 Example 1) and page 4 (Step 5 and 6 Example 2). Which one is best solutions or something else?
The fabrics (cloths) weight to be quite heavy and problem is how I could keep these up on the boat hull.
By hannu - 7/8/2020 4:14:59 PM

Chris Rogers - 7/7/2020 2:39:38 AM
Oh - that is kind of a big hole in an important spot!  Did you remove a saildrive?  If there was a hole there already then it is important to tie it back together will but unless you cut some internal structure (looks awful thick up front there!) then a structural skin repair should be adequate.  Generally a boat like this is built with a bit of chopped strand mat mixed with either woven roving or stitched material - but usually plenty of mat!  An epoxy repair scarfed in well - which will get you into the keel landing zone a bit - should be more than adequate.  When in doubt go with an equal amount of fiber reinforcement in all directions - and no need to use mat with epoxy.  You can repair any internal structure the same way.  If there is some heavy keel structure at the end of that hole (forward I think) like a grid or a keel floor then you'll need to do most of the laminating from the outside to lap onto existing material. 

Given the potential porosity of the laminate and the issue of bagging around bonded internal structure I think infusion would be a challenge here - probably doable but maybe not satisfying or ideal!  Two bagging operations of 6mm of wet-laid glass in epoxy should be fine.  If you need to you can stack up the wet plies of material off he boat (rolled really well and cut to shape) and lay it on the vacuum bag and belled stack and then press the whole thing up into place onto wet out surface. Might take a helper or a sheet of cardboard and some tape to get it done.  Set up another vacuum bag with a plastic shape former / sheet on the inside too and you'll be good to go.  Second operation (a day or two later) and you won't need the internal bag because it'll be (hopefully) vacuum tight.  You can clean up the inside and do a ply or two just to tidy thing up if you want.   

Just an educated guess here from one picture: if you grind a taper and lap 15:1 or 20:1 (180-240mm) out onto that hull you should be in good shape unless there's something seriously structural that got cut out - or I'm missing something.  Could go with less on the smaller hole - especially if you do half from the inside and half from the outside.

The propeller shaft with stern tube are removed. Engine was middle of the salon, below table and propeller shaft with tube came through of the hull just behind keel. Engine with sail drive to be install few meters to backwards (astern).

Your proposal repair the big hole is usable and easier. I suppose using this. Thanks of the your kind help and guidance. May I have contact you again when coming some question (s) again round of the hole repair on the boat hull?
Now I should leave this repair (my own boat) on while time because I should get ready a one rescue boat first.