12 replies to this topic

[Ken_Potts]

Ha! Finally!
After a year and a half without a boat and several months of boat shopping we've bought Red Witch #328 at auction. I've owned several boats inmy life but this is the first one I ever bought. The Red Witch is a local design (Perth Australia) that was built from the early 70's into the early 80's.
From the looks of this one it's probably an early 70's boat (I'm still trying to decode the hull ID number). I might have to do a little bit of structural repair on the inside of the boat. It would consist of cutting a partial bulkhead out and replacing it. My first question (of many) is what do I use to make the repair? I don't know if this early- or mid-70's boat is polyester or vinylester or something else. Will epoxy stick to it, or do I need to do more research on the original resin so I can use the same stuff?

[Ken_Potts]

I'll see if I can upload a photo after dinner (Pork chops! Woo hoo!)

[Ken_Potts]

 Witchcraft01.JPG   105.87K   30 downloads
Here's a photo

[wkisting]

Hi Ken,

Congrats on the purchase. As I've always understood it, you can lay epoxy onto well-cured polyester, but not the other way around. You just want to make sure you rough up and clean the surface thoroughly to get a good bond. It may be worth doing a little research just to make sure it's polyester or epoxy to begin with. If it's vinylester, then I don't know if epoxy will work.

[Hirilonde]

Epoxy will make a good secondary or physical bond to almost anything that is sound, well scuffed up and clean. The era boat you have is almost surely polyester, and epoxy is the best choice for repairs. Polyester or vinylester will work if the prep is done well, but neither bonds as well as epoxy to cured surfaces.

[Ken_Potts]

I've verified that the boat is almost certainly polyester and I've been reminded that two part epoxy will stick to polyester, vinylester or two-part epoxy, but not to one-part epoxy. It looks like I'll probably use "Bote Cote" because it's locally available and it costs less than West Systems.
I've got most (2/3) of the cutting out of the damaged bulkhead done so I'll be re-doing it probably next weekend.
The mast is in the hands of a professional and it looks like once I've paid him for welding the two pieces back together (a clean break right at the spreaders) and welding up the broken tabernacle, we'll be on the water. Well have less than $3k into this boat by the time we go for the first sail
I will, of course, post pictures of the work and once I'm on the water I'll post some sailing pics. I'll have to rely on Capt Oyster for the good fish pictures, though, since I haven't been catching anything this winter.

[PAR]

Vinylester is relatively new, there's little doubt a 70's or early 80's boat will be polyester.

Both vinylester and polyester could be used, but they aren't as easy, nor as strong as epoxy in the mechanical bonds you ask of them. Epoxy will stick to all of the resin systems used. Vinylester is next on the list, though not as good as epoxy, with polyester being considerably further down the list in regard to bond.

BoteCoat is a good choice and will have no trouble bonding with your boat. There's no such thing as a single part epoxy. Products sold as a one part epoxy are usually polyurethane with some portions of an epoxy molecule in it, so they can call it epoxy on the label. If you read the label carefully, you'll find polyurethane in there.

Welding aluminum extrusion usually produces a weaker mast. Will they be "sleeving" the mast at the break?

The fin under that boat dates her to the 70's, as it was popular then to incorporate "shark's fin" style of appendages. She'll probably be a pretty quick ride. They have an impressive ballast/displacement ratio, especially for it's era (designed in '72). She'll be a witch upwind.

[Oyster]

Howdy there ole buddy, as a matter of fact I just hyjacked Brent's thread with fish shots. But its been a slow season this year as the weather and winds has been a bit stiff for my tastes. The inlet has changed with last year's hurricane with the east side all sanded and so this has made it almost impossible to fish with almost any wind and the the mid tides. The entire back side of your old stomping ground was cut last year too with the hurricane and there is even a new pond behind the beach head is deep enough to float a boat on most high tides. The weather has been so nice this week that evening trips on the water has been possible. I got a few brown points last evening too. Anyway enjoy your boat and get it in the water, thats all that makes a difference. The only bad boat is one sitting on the hard, to me anyway.

[Oyster]

Okay feller, we need some updates and reports of your ventures sailing upside down.

[Hirilonde]

He sailed pretty well upside down when he was in NC, he should be good at it

[Ken_Potts]

I'll post some pictures this weeked and include more details - Things are coming along slowly but surely.
I've verified that the hull has flotation tanks built in, so the occasional upside-down sail won't become a long distance swim.

[PAR]

So, when in this country Ken, do you find yourself placing V berth cushions on the cabin headliner, just in case ?

[Ken_Potts]

Actually, when in North Carolina I'm accustomed to keeping my berths on the beach. I can't bump my head on a cabintop that doesn't exist.