Repair hull indentation/flat spot?

[jameswilson29]

There is a hull indentation/flat spot in the starboard bilge area of my P28, photo attached: SailNet Community - jameswilson29's Album: Winter repairs: hull indentation - Picture

The inside of the hull is currently inaccessible due to the hull liner. I could gain access by cutting ports in the starboard cabin berth locker.

Is this worth repairing?

I am considering trying to pop out the indentation and adding additional fiberglass laminate and stringers to strengthen the area.

[raisin56]

The real question is how did it get there?
Not knowing the history of the vessel I would suspect a repair by a PO that wasn't fared properly. I would strip the paint off down to the gel/glass and see what I find. A repair could be hard to detect if they were good a gel work, but if they were that good they should know how to fare the hull. Look for any stress fractures around the flattened area if it is not a repaired area. Glass doesn't "pop" like sheet metal on a car would, other means of repairing damage would be needed.
If you don't find any stress fractures and aren't planning on making it a fast racer the put on a new bottom coat and enjoy the sail.

Dan

[Traveling Light]

It might be damaged from hitting an object but I would not rule out improper keel support if the PO used jack stands. Nonetheless, I agree with Dan, if no serious damage, just verify, and don't worry about it.

[jameswilson29]

Surveyor surmised it was the result of improper jack stand placement and recommended inspection by professional fiberglass repairer. I understand hull indentations are often found on Pearsons from this era because of combination of relatively heavy displacement and light construction aft of the cabin bulkhead.

I doubt it was previously repaired as there is no access to the area, except outside the hull.

[Faster]

As you say, Pearsons are known for being what some call 'soft shell' boats and can suffer from this kind of indentation, usually from improperly placed pads/stands. Usually, though, they'll tend to pop back on their own once the force is removed.

The fact that this has not occurred makes me wonder if the laminate is fractured slightly in that area... that's kind of tough to be sure about, esp as the area is inaccessible from inside.. can you at least 'see' if the inner surface is intact? (not that that is any guarantee of the integrity of the area..) Any difference in the 'sounding' in that area and adjacent 'normal' appearing parts of the hull?

[jameswilson29]

Yes, I was rapping on it with the handle of the scraper I was using and it sounded different from the surrounding area, although it is difficult to tell because aft of it is a cabin bulkhead, below is the reinforced bilge sump area, forward is the main bulkhead...

I would have to cut into the liner to access this area for an inspection. I am not sure I would recognize the difference between damaged laminate and undamaged laminate.

Could I pop the area out using a jack between the hull and the liner or tapered wood pieces hammered into place temporarily?

Would there be any harm in adding laminate and stringers to reinforce this area?

(I did not intend for this to be a "project boat", although it seems to be becoming one; the boat is inexpensive enough I am hesitant to pay for professional fiberglass repairs.)

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by jameswilson29

Yes, I was rapping on it with the handle of the scraper I was using and it sounded different from the surrounding area, although it is difficult to tell because aft of it is a cabin bulkhead, below is the reinforced bilge sump area, forward is the main bulkhead...

I would have to cut into the liner to access this area for an inspection. I am not sure I would recognize the difference between damaged laminate and undamaged laminate.

It's usually pretty obvious, likely you'll recognize it when you see it.

Could I pop the area out using a jack between the hull and the liner or tapered wood pieces hammered into place temporarily?

Yes - I wouldn't use a jack though - you might be able to pop it out by hand with a piece of broom handle or similar. Go easy at first and increase the pressure slowly, don't START by smacking it with a big hammer.

Would there be any harm in adding laminate and stringers to reinforce this area?

Nothing but good could come from this.

(I did not intend for this to be a "project boat", although it seems to be becoming one; the boat is inexpensive enough I am hesitant to pay for professional fiberglass repairs.)

ALL boats are "project" boats. It's just a matter of how much of a project they are.

P.S. If you do decide to cut into the liner, plan it carefully so you can make it look good later - like a planned and designed access port. Nothing screams "uncaring owner" quite like crude holes hacked in a moulded liner.

[treilley]

That vintage Pearson 28 does not suffer from any lightly built areas in the hull. In fact this is the first I have ever heard anyone say that this Model and vintage Pearson was anything less than well built. What are these claims based on?

This is likely not a deflection from an improperly placed boat stand. This is a poor repair. Once you strip it down to the glass you will be able to see what was done.

If it is a repair, then there is probably no gel coat where they did the repair. No reason to cover an epoxy based repair with gel coat just to be covered by AF paint. Gelcoat is cosmetic. Once you remove the paint, it should be obvious. Maybe it is a poor repair because they did not do any work from the inside. Where on the inside of the boat does this repair line up?

[Faster]

Prying against the liner would probably be a bad idea.. it may crack itself.

Jon's got a good point - cut into the liner in a way that you can install an inspection port so it looks OK afterward. If the laminate is damaged, once you get a peek you should see some surface splintering.. but the difficulty is that even if you don't it's no guarantee that there isn't internal fracturing.

Adding stiffeners or reinforcement may require (at least temporary) removal of most of that section of liner...

[jameswilson29]

I am a big Pearson fan - this is my second Pearson. Nevertheless, I realize that every boat has its weak points, including Pearsons, which can suffer from hull deflections when improperly blocked. I do not blame Bill Shaw or Pearson for not anticipating boneheads working in marinas. If you search the internet for hull deflections/flat spots/indentations, Pearsons frequently come up as the subject vessel, usually one of the more popular models, such as the P30. Here is a previous instructive sailnet thread on the subject: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/p30/67...tml#post632736

I have seen a number of others on different websites.

On my P29, the area is starboard aft of the keel forward of the aft cabin bulkhead. I may be able to access it under the sink or the starboard cabin berth locker. Here are some more photos: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/member...dentation.html .

I believe the thru-hull in the photos is the galley sink drain (icebox drains into the bilge).