 Hull Surface Crack RL24 |  Hi
I'm looking for assistance with a persistent problem I have with my RL24 MK1 Drop Keel converted -seek pic. The crack is a surface horizontal crack some 300mm long located about 150mm above the water line directly below where the forward corner on the cabin - starboard side.
It has been repaired once a year and comes back after a sail in choppy Port Phillip bay conditions. I believe the area where the crack appears has been holed by a previous owner. We repair by cutting out the damage, re-glassing, have used filler and then finish off.
The rig is a skiff rig and the hull has a brace for stiffening - can have it in or out - makes no difference to the problem reappearing.
Any suggestion to help this problem go away would be really appreciated.
Thanks
Mike Montgomery
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| Re: Hull Surface Crack RL24 | Mike.
You need to stiffen the inside of rhe hull first by overlapping the affected area by at least 60mm all round with a layer of CSM and woven rovings, and finish off the outside repair with sheathing cloth and tissue.
When you just use a filler on the outside it will always eventually show a crack again.
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| Re: Hull Surface Crack RL24 | Hi Rob
Thanks for the tip - one further question is the crack seems to line up with the starboard bunk edge along the inside of the hull- would I need to cut a section of this edge before doing the inside reinforcing?
Cheers
Mike
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| Re: Hull Surface Crack RL24 | Mike.
Using the smallest drill you have, drill a hole at each end of the crack and insert a fine nail or wire, then you can see the exact location on the inside of the hull where the problem is. Let me know and we can take it from there.
Also seeing that your boat had been converted to drop keel I would like to know how the mast is suported seeing that there may no longer be a prop down to the keel case as the case may have been moved aft.
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| Re: Hull Surface Crack RL24 | Hi Rob
Thanks again - will do on the position of the crack maybe a couple of weeks before I can do - boat is moored and I need to slip - yes hull was sealed and anti-fouled.
In regards to the conversion - the keel case as you surmise doesn't support the mast - an metal pressure post boxed aluminium has been inserted right under the mast step - at the top it has a metal plate with is bolted thru to the the mast step plate on to of the cabin.
At the bottom of the post is another metal plate fastened to the rib on the hull - where the spine rib and a side rib meet. I'll send you some pics of the conversion. Not sure who did the conversion - to me it looks like a professional job. The previous owner probably did it as he was marine engineer ex navy.
cheers
Mike
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| Re: Hull Surface Crack RL24 |  HI Rob
Taken a few weeks - have drilled the crack as suggested. The crack lines up with the bunk lip - see pictures.
With the original repair to the hole in this area the fix laid the new fibre glass onto the lip of the bunk as is done on the rest of the build. However, on the build where the bunk lip meets the hull underneath there is a gap between the lip and hull. With the repair this gap has been filled with some sort of epoxy or bog filler. Maybe this is the reason for re-appearance of the crack - no give. What are your thoughts on this?
thanks
Mike Montgomery
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