Per Steve Baker:
Pete,
For that kind of repair, if it's just cracked, grind or sand back a
little, then lay on a wetted-out piece of cloth or mat (woven rovings or
Chopped Strand Mat) that is about 2" bigger than the crack. Sand
everywhere your patch will touch. If using cloth, aim for a total of 18
oz, and you should be fine for a surfski.
Steve "catch you at AM-B"

Two issues:
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1) The 1" fiberglass tape that covered the deck/hull seam had started
delaminating bigtime. I got it off with a putty knife, a hair dryer,
and some gentle persuasion. Plenty dirt/crud under where it had
supposedly been bonded.

2) On one side, around the rear of the seat well, the bond between the
deck and the hull shows cracks over a distance of about 18". I can
move the deck independently of the hull with finger pressure, so I'm
guessing the cracks are really a separation of the deck from the hull,
but I don't know if there's a flange on the inside and, if there is,
if it's flat or curved. Gonna track down the guy who bought out
the ski's original maker and see if he can offer any info.
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I think I have the tape replacement process pretty much wired: clean the area
obsessively with a sanding block - removing all traces of the prior bonding
material and any gel coat and then just 'poxy new tape over top.

Not sure whether I need any more resin than is needed to wet out the tape...
i.e. would a second coat to fill in the weave add anything besides weight
and/or cosmetics?


I'm still mulling over the crack repair.

On one hand, it seems like I should be able to get some thinned resin to pull
itself in there just by surface tension. On the other hand, I have no idea of
what the condition of the two surfaces is. My guess would be that they aren't
as clean as I'd hope.

If I go all the way and carve out the bad stuff, then I have to mix up some
resin/fiberglass filaments and stuff it in there. That's where the OP came
from: I don't know if I should take the trouble to chop up a bunch of glass
or just stuff the folded-over wetted cloth into the gap. The folded-over cloth
seems like it would give more control over seepage/weeping on the inside of the
hull. OTOH, maybe it's not mechanically strong enough...
--
PeteCresswell