Hull to deck joint question

[willyd]

I looked at a 1964 Whitby 25 folkboat this evening and noticed delamination (hollow sounding) in the side deck adjacent to some areas where there was deterioration where the hull and deck meet. This joint had a section that protruded and was covered with a rubber strip that serves as a rub rail. It wasn't clear to me whether the lip that protruded was part of the deck or an extension of the hull, or a third strip of material. I would like to know a) what the problem I found is and b) whether it's worth trying to repair. I've wanted to buy a folkboat for some time but don't want this one if it's a goner. Seemed like a really solid boat otherwise, though in need of attention in several places.

Here are the photos:

[merc2dogs]

normally in that type of joint, there's a lip on both the deck an hull.
On cheap boats it's often just stapled together with all waterproofing being managed by the rub rail. On better boats they'll caulk the joint, then screw together and cover with the rub rail. On really well built boats, they'll have an aluminum or stainless channel that fits snugly over the lips, and fasteners go through that and the lips, then it's covered with the rub. On some boats, the only reason for the lip is for attachment of the rub rail.

I can't see it perfectly, but it looks like the lip itself is fine, and just the rub rail pulled away. Check to see if the lip is there on both deck and hull, if it is then possibly the most you'll need is a new rub rail or if it just pulled away, reattach
looks like it may have did it's job and rubbed up against something hard enough to deform it.

[tommays]

On a Cal 29 the joint is set in goop and reinforced form the inside with fiberglass tape and resin

My starboard side was broken open pretty badly and required good bit of work that was not costly just time consuming and messy



I had to open and clean the joint and set in new epoxy from the outside



Then grind away the old tape inside

Like any project you have to access the total picture and decide how deep you want to get involved OR find a better boat



And then just re-tape the joint

[willyd]

Thanks. I need to go take another look at it in daylight and see if indeed this is just a fiberglass rubrail or something integral to the hull, which is what it initially looked like, but which struck me as weird.

[willyd]

Originally Posted by merc2dogs

normally in that type of joint, there's a lip on both the deck an hull.
On cheap boats it's often just stapled together with all waterproofing being managed by the rub rail. On better boats they'll caulk the joint, then screw together and cover with the rub rail. On really well built boats, they'll have an aluminum or stainless channel that fits snugly over the lips, and fasteners go through that and the lips, then it's covered with the rub. On some boats, the only reason for the lip is for attachment of the rub rail.

I can't see it perfectly, but it looks like the lip itself is fine, and just the rub rail pulled away. Check to see if the lip is there on both deck and hull, if it is then possibly the most you'll need is a new rub rail or if it just pulled away, reattach
looks like it may have did it's job and rubbed up against something hard enough to deform it.

Just for the record, Merc2dogs was spot-on in his description and analysis. It looks like a 2 foot section got ground away from contact with a dock or something. The white thing hanging loose is a vinyl rubrail cover that goes all around the fiberglass lip, and there is caulking in between the vinyl cover and where the lip and deck meet.

My attempt at repairing this was to sand and clean the area, then clamp and screw in a 2" wide piece of plywood (covered with tape) under the lip to serve as a shelf under the gap of missing material, then glass in a piece of foam the same size as the section that was missing. I also clamped another piece of plywood (covered in plastic) outboard to serve as a form and secure the new piece while the fiberglass cured. This would have been an easy job if the boat had been out of the water, but it seems to have worked.

[merc2dogs]

Sounds like a good fix!