res0l34l wrote:

I just purchased a 26" clipper sailboat. It is going to require a lot of
fixingup. The wood inside the fiberglass hull is going to need replacing.
I do not know how to attach wood to a fiberglass hull, what kind of wood
to use, how to sucessfully remove the interior without damaging the hull.
Any help would be helpful.

Thanks

Tom Ford

OK (rolling up sleeves) here goes...

I replaced one of the vertical bulkheads and all of the wood in the forward
vee-berth in my Clipper 26.

I used mahogany-faced ply for the bulkhead - the original is teak-faced ply,
but I couldn't afford that when I did the repair (15 + years ago). I cut
the fiberglass tabs holding hte original bulkhead in and removed it in as
much of one piece as possible and used it as a template for the new piece.
The new piece went in just like the old one came out, and I fiberglassed it
in with resin-impregnated tape just like the original one was. Today I'd
use epoxy, but that was then and this is now.

The Vee-berth was a phenominal PITA because I had to replace all the
poured-in-place foam flotation too. Again, where possible I used original
pieces for templates and fiberglasses the replacement parts into the hull.
I DID make a Tee-frame to support the berth surface and heavily reinforced
it with stringers down both sides to increase the gluing (fiberglass resin)
area. Again, i I had it to do over again, I'd use epoxy, not figerblass
resin as an adhesive. I also would NOT use two-part pour-in expanding foam
for flotation, rather, I'd go to some home improvement store and buy sheet
foat insulation nad cut to fit; it would probably take less time, be less
expensive (the 2-part foam components were about $100 back then and toxic
as all hell) and be a LOT safer to use.

Here's the best advice I can give you - TAKE YOUR TIME! I did the whole
job in a couple of days with a cheap-o jig saw and small tools like that.
I used exterior sheathing plywood for the vee berth (probably could have
used it for the bulkhead too and just painted it for all the difference it
makes in a Clipper) and did ateh entire job by myself - a helper at times
would have been appreciated, and other times swould have been totally in
the way.

Here's the next best advice I can give you - get the Gougeon Brothers (sp?)
book on using epoxy in wood boat building, and their leaflet on wooden boat
repair, and hit your local library for a couple of books on basic carpentry
- this is NOT rocket science.

Above all, work safely - rushing to get to the hospital will NOT improve
your production rate.

Feel free to ping me off line if you wish.

All the best,
Rob Weaver