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Weak in the Knees

1K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  tempest 
#1 ·
Well,

After 25 years and perhaps a leak or two, I need to replace the knees that hold my chainplates. I've got everything exposed, and it looks to me like the original knees ( if that's the correct term) we not butted to the hull. There appears to be no movement ( in and out) so it looks like they were tabbed in
( fiberglassed ) to the hull with about a 1/2 inch or more gap, between the wood and the hull.

Is this correct construction? should they have butted right up against the hull.
Is it possible that there was some type of foam filler between the hull and the knee that has just disintegrated over the years?

I will call Sabre to see what they recommend, but I was wondering what the experience is here. I guess the basic question is when cutting new knees do I size them to butt up against the hull, or hold them off a little and fill the gap with some type of foam pad or flexible bedding material.

I hope I've described this adequately.

Thanks.
 
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#2 ·
If by "knees" you mean "bulkheads" then you don't want them pressing directly against the hull. It's better to spread the force out over a larger area with tabs. The foam between the bulkhead and hull, to my knowledge, is only placed there to give shape to the tabbing before it sets; once the tabs are in, they are the only things transferring forces between the bulkheads and hull.
 
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