Fairing advice for deck repair

[Scott Fuller]

I recently posted photos of my core repairs in another thread, and have a question regarding the next phase of the project. Other core repairs I have done have been on larger flat areas - cabin top for example. The current project involves the side decks (approximately 18 feet of repair area on each side), and they are glassed and ready for fairing. Previously I have used a sail batten to spread the fairing material but the side decks are narrow in the front, wide in the middle and very narrow at the cockpit. I would prefer to work as lengthy an area as possible at a time, but I am thinking it will be difficult to drag a batten smoothly for a long stretch because of the changing width. Is there anyone who has done this that could offer some suggestions I may not have thought of?

Thanks,
Scott

[s/v Jedi]

Wonder what others will come up with, but I would look at using a batten under an angle on narrow sections if possible; maybe using two lengths, or I would look into making an extendable one using two parts, one slotted etc.

[Reefmagnet]

This is why I clean up and reuse the old skins. Saw back and forth while moving forwards like the concrete guys do. Use multiple battens of different length and adjust the angle to compensate for narrower width until a shorter batten is required. Sand and complete final fairing then sand again to final profile.

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[Scott Fuller]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

This is why I clean up and reuse the old skins...

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I wish I lived in your world! In all of the projects on my boat, the skin was still so well adhered to the wet core that it wouldn't come up intact.

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by Scott Fuller

I wish I lived in your world! In all of the projects on my boat, the skin was still so well adhered to the wet core that it wouldn't come up intact.

If it's that well adhered the question may need to be asked if it in fact needed replacing?

However wood wedges, big hammers and crowbars work well.

On the last job I did, I actually expended more time and effort in repairing the original skin then would have been required to simply lay new glass because I was not only faced with the same issues as the OP, but also had a curved surface to replicate...



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[Scott Fuller]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

If it's that well adhered the question may need to be asked if it in fact needed replacing?

Here in the midwest where we get hard freezes all winter long, the wet core freezes and causes gel coat cracks and (eventually) delamination. I figure as long as I am replacing wet core, why not get all of it - even the areas that haven't progressed to the point of delamination? I don't relish the thought of ever having to do this again!