tfrei Posted September 15, 2019 Report Share Posted September 15, 2019 Hi everybody. I'm putting my CS 17 away for the winter a little early to get at some deck painting that I want to do. I'm attaching a photo of crack on the topside of the bow that appears to run along the lines of the plywood as the two halves were constructed. I'm wondering whether this is a something I should address with some sort of filler or just paint it? I was thinking of 3 possible approaches: 1) Just paint over it and let the crack expand and contract as it wants. 2) Try filling it in a bit with some slightly thickened epoxy, then paint over it. 3) Maybe try filling it in a bit with something that can expand and contract ---maybe something like 3M 4200? Any ideas? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted September 15, 2019 Report Share Posted September 15, 2019 I covered my fore deck seam with a trim piece. Mine was epoxied in place during construction. In your case I would use an adhesive bedding compound and screws. You should have a deck beam under the seam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterP Posted September 16, 2019 Report Share Posted September 16, 2019 If I'm seeing this right then there is a king plank under that crack and god only knows what kind of shape that rascal is in. You do what you need to but I would take my router and run a 3/4in wide rabbet 1/4in deep the length of the crack (half the thickness of your fore deck ply if it is 1/2 in). I would then sink a couple of flat bottom holes in the rabbet to the top of the king plank to see if it has been touched and to what degree. If it looks OK then drying and soaking with epoxy would be my next step. 3/4 in batten bedded in epoxy to cover the seam. I would make sure the deck is soundly epoxied and fastened to the king plank. Nails- that's what I like to use -nice 1in long boat nails. If your ply panels aren't solidly attached you may see the epoxy disappear real fast when you soak the seam. Just be ready and keep your eye on things and stop up the leak (s) on the backside if need be. Make sure to fill up all the voids if you have any. Once when I was faced with de-lamination I resorted to drilling a bunch of 1/8in holes and then -using a syringe- I forced unthickened epoxy into the void until it overflowed. Good luck PeterP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tfrei Posted September 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 Thank you both for your help. Everything appears solid below the crack, but I will also do some further investigating to make sure. What kind of trim piece would you recommend? I don't have the build instructions as I bought the boat second hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterP Posted September 17, 2019 Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 Who knows how long the crack has been there and how much water got in. Make sure the plywood is sound without any dry rot along the edge. Think about the force a 17ft mast puts on the fore deck with every gust of wind and you'll understand why everything must be well fastened together. As for the trim piece: judging by the picture no exotic woods are called for. I would fill the rabbet with several layers of glass tape soaked with epoxy. Built up to the required thickness. I would still run boat nails say every 6" on BOTH sides of the original seam because you want to keep the edges together as well as helping them stick to the king plank. Nice thing about F/G is that it will not split like wood or ply could. PeterP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted September 17, 2019 Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 My advice about adding a center trim piece is simply to cover the seam, provide a good way to seal it, and hopefully look good. It in no way makes up for any lacking structural issues. Have you crawled into the forward compartment with a flashlight to check on whether the plywood is separating from the king plank? Look for any signs of water having gotten in. Take pictures. As Peter has pointed out, there may be more to this than meets the eye. In my case, the trim piece is epoxied on merely to cover the seam and hopefully look good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul356 Posted September 17, 2019 Report Share Posted September 17, 2019 Anything nice and clear will work for the trim piece. You can finish it bright or just paint it. Cut a clear piece out of a knotty chunk from the big box store, or go exotic and get some mahogany from Rockler. Up to you. Just so it's sound, smooth, fits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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