pinkclound keel,

Comment

Comment by Clyde A. Phillips on April 30, 2012 at 12:55am

Paul,

If I owned a Newporter and problems like yours arose, I’d need to know exactly what's happening.  I'd not patch the fiberglass blisters.  Any time the glass allows water to get to the plywood behind it, it is setting up a major banquet for rot. I'd spot fix blisters and cracks in the glass only if I know when these opened up.

Not knowing how long water has been getting to the wood I’d strip the glass off at least back to a few inches beyond the wet to where the glass is holding tight to the wood.  Then I’d probe the wet (or had been wet) area of the wood.  All soft wood needs to be removed and replaced.  Be aware that rot at the outside surface of a hull may be only a few square inches in area, but inside can, and probably is, a great deal larger.  The old 40 foot Liberty Launch that was converted to a research vessel that I captained for a decade or so had a copper patch about 8 X 8 inches square.  I asked the lab supervisor how long that had been there and on next haul-out I had the patch removed and the rot removed.  That required four frames and five planks between 8 and 10 feet long being replaced.  If the former captain had fixed the bad spot when first found it would have been simple.  This is not to scare you, just to let you and everyone else know that what is seen on the outside tells you very little. 

I suggest, for some instruction in repair work, that you study Tim’s and Bob’s work on their boats.  They both have done and are doing a good job on their boats and they know whereof they speak.  To set you straight on my abilities on Newporter repair, having always worked on new boats I did no repair.  All my statements here and elsewhere are based on what I learned, and remembered, on the job 40 or more years ago, and I am not longer a young fellow and my memory is sometimes slippery.  But during your coming years of Newporter ownership keep in touch with this site—it will do you no harm and will be a great help and encouragement.  Bob will tell you about me: I don’t respond well to questions on the site but will respond to emails ( camgphil@msn.com ).  You can ask me via email to answer you on the site.  I’d be glad to do that.

Peace, and Enjoy your unique rig.

Comment by Tim Donald on April 29, 2012 at 7:14pm

Hi Paul,  Bob is right.  The fiberglass will need to be repaired.  Something forced the glass to crack.  Take a close look and close it up.  We find blisters and fiberglass flaws on our keel at each haul out.  We spot repair and re- evaluate each haul.  Diving under a Newporter is fun too.  Great time to see what's going on down there. 

Comment by bob mitchell on April 29, 2012 at 12:33am

In that area there are two possible sources of rust. The 3/4" plywood that sheaths the stack of douglas fir that forms the deadwood is nailed to the deadwood with lots of small nails. The other source is 6 5/8" galvanized vertical rods that secure the stack of deadwood to the apron (beyond the 9 bronze keel ballest bolts). There are photos of these on the website. I am not sure that small amount of rust is cause for concern, but certainly the fiberglass integrity of the hull is important.