Stern separation on Chester Yawl

I purchased a used Chester Yawl a couple of years ago and recently some of the stern seams are separating/swelling? I have never built a boat or worked with fiberglass, so I don't know how I should go about fixing this.

I live in Juneau Alaska and will be using the boat in saltwater so my life depends on doing this correctly. I have a portable garage so I can do the work out of the rain, but it is not heated. Localized heat could be applied.

Suggestions?
Barney
Sorry, I couldn't get  the image vertical. It appears to be lying on its port side in the image.

Chester Yawl Stern

 


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RE: Stern separation on Chester Yawl

From the build gallery, it looks like that's a sealed compartment:

http://i58.tinypic.com/24v2og1.jpg

I'd cut in an inspection hatch/deck plate to see what's happening inside. It sure looks like moisture has gotten in there and found some weaknesses in the interior coating.

Through the access hatch, dry the compartment thoroughly, see if there's anything ugly going on, and perhaps add an additional seal coat of epoxy.

Then sand the transom unmercifully, until the old paint is gone, until you can see the wood. Leave intact glass alone if you like, but dig out any suspect, darkened wood, sand away any swollen wood, and then fill voids with thickened epoxy. Sand the whole transom flat, add putty as needed, resand, mask the edge of the transom (past the radius, so the tape is on the planks and not bending around toward the transom), and add a single layer of 6 oz glass (you can get little pieces like this from a hardware store, Bondo brand, etc.). Don't try too hard to get the glass to turn the corners onto the planks, but trim away any big overhangs so they don't by their gravity try to to peel away. When the epoxy is cured, cut away the overhangs, sort of skimming a knife blade along the plank radiuses at a 45d angle. You want the glass on the plank ends, but not past the apex of the radius at all. Lightly sand this edge, trying to blend it into the plank radius. Add a coat of epoxy or three to fill the glass weave, then use a hard rubber block to wetsand the epoxy flat, continuing to blend the corners gently. Now remove your tape, and move it 1/8" further onto the planks faces, and prime/paint the repaired transom.

When you store the boat, remove the inspection hatch to allow moisture to get out. Also use it to inspect the compartment.

RE: Stern separation on Chester Yawl

...so you don't have to copy/paste the pic link:

   

RE: Stern separation on Chester Yawl

   Thank you NemoChad for the detailed instructions.

I have a follow up question concerning painting the boat. It appears that the top coat is blistering and peeling, while the coat under it appear to be good. What sandpaper should I use to get the top coat off? Should I prime before I put another coat of paint on? Two coats of paint?

Thank you for you help!
Barney

RE: Stern separation on Chester Yawl

If you're sanding the paint off then 80 grit works, followed by 120, then primer, 220 wetsand with a hard rubber block, 1st coat of paint, wet 320, 2nd coat of paint.

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