Delamination.......

[Oscar]

Well, got the tools and space lined up to get LKIV ready....
First the floats were brought inside for painting......



Unfortunately I quickly discovered that there was quite a bit of water intrusion into the laminate.... The hulls are laminated, the inside fiberglass layer is porous, there are now leaks around the various hardware pieces and there is no ventilation in a large portion of them.......ergo.....rot.





So, first things first, remove the paint. I'm tired of getting the anti fouling all over me and am also ready to get rid of the "artwork". Once the hulls are clean I will build the cradles that will be part of the trailering system, and then I will turn them over and most likely cut out sections of the deck and start making things right....

[Oscar]

Outside clean....



After researching several easy fixes it turns out that there is only one way, the right way. Cut holes in the deck for access, remove the shelf and get busy. One side of one hull ready for installing new balsa and glass/resin.

The inner (porous) glass layer as it came out:



Removing the mess. The rotten parts are easy, the few areas that saturated properly to begin with are tougher....

[Double Horizon]

Was this boat made by Quorning, or was it one of the boats made in Canada by a third-party?

I'm not aware of any Dragonfly boats using Balsa core. All the Danish-built boats I've seen used foam core, at least since 1994.

[Mal]

I wouldn't put balsa back in;- no matter how well you do it, just a matter of time before you're back to water in it again. I had to do a similar job on an old catamaran I once owned, and put high density foam in the sandwich instead. I know balsa is stiffer and cheaper, but imho poor material to use in a marine environment.

[Oscar]

It's a PCMould boat, (Canada) built in 1990. I am familiar with the balsa/foam discussion. As I am going to dry sail the boat and am going to make darn sure it is sealed I think the balsa will work for me.

[Oscar]

After cleaning out one side I decided to replace the balsa first before I tackled the other side... The outer skin is thin, very very thin. I'm guessing 1/16th..... In fact the hull was losing shape on that side, decidedly concave, you can see it in the first picture below. In the flabbiest spot I was able to move it in and out over two inches with one finger.....

Sooooo

Dry fitting the balsa:



And gooping in:




Cloth is next. Then clean the other side, then balsa and cloth the other side. A few layers on the "keel". Also a corner on the hull to deck joint on the inside, as well as some reinforcement where the chainplates go.

The good news is that the other hull is not half as bad. It has dried up, and there is maybe 12-15 feet total on both sides that need re-doing......

[Oscar]

Updated. I'll have to post some pictures again.

One hull had ALL balsa removed, replaced and reglassed. It's a whole new animal. The other had about 50% of each side done. I need to do glass on one side and some gooping and then that part is done.

I've decided to put three bulkheads in each hull. 1" foam, glassed. It will allow damage anywhere on the hull and keep it afloat with at least 1/2 and possibly 2/3 of it's buoyancy. The weight of the bulkheads is negligible. Each compartment will have a ventilation opening and I will be able to get to the back of every hardware piece. I am building up the hull where the "chain plates" are, as there are numerous stress cracks around the holes. A little reinforcement is in order here. The only piece I won't be able to get to after I close the deck is the bow eye. I will glass an aluminum plate with threaded holes there, so I can fasten the eye from the outside.

There are a few areas of delamination in the deck, which I have to do with my head in the hull...... oh joy. Three of the "plugs" I cut out to gain access need small spots replaced, one is toast. I will laminate the hole from the outside.

Finally, the small screw hatch in the center of the hulls is being replaced by a nice 30x18 hatch.