Please help, I'm in need of some advice. My brother bought a cheapo used
sailboat at a garage sail over ten years ago. He has since then abandoned it
and said that I can have it if I want it. A recent visit to a friend's beach
house in Florida has rekindled my interest in sailing and I'm thinking of
trying to fix it up. The problem is that it looks cheaper than I remember;
Styrofoam incased in plastic. Then 10+ years of sitting in the hot Texas sun
has made the plastic shell brittle in spots. Structurally it seems sound,
but areas were the plastic has broken away has created a couple sharp and
jagged spots that could be dangerous. I am thinking of just glassing the
whole thing, but I wanted to ask a few questions first. First and foremost
do you think it is worth the trouble? Given my current financial position,
it is either this or nothing. So I guess I should be asking IF it would
work? If I try it should I use polyester, or epoxy? Will it melt the
Styrofoam were it contacts? What weight cloth? Do you think one layer would
do the trick? Sorry about all the questions. I've done glasswork before, but
I'm far from being a pro. Unfortunately I don't know the make either. Thank
you very much for your responses.

** I believe they were called 'Snark"
see http://www.castlecraft.net/super_snark.htm
I wouldn't spend any money on it. There must be some old fibreglass
sailboats around.


wrote in message
m...
Please help, I'm in need of some advice. My brother bought a cheapo used
sailboat at a garage sail over ten years ago. He has since then abandoned
it
and said that I can have it if I want it. A recent visit to a friend's
beach
house in Florida has rekindled my interest in sailing and I'm thinking of
trying to fix it up. The problem is that it looks cheaper than I remember;
Styrofoam incased in plastic. Then 10+ years of sitting in the hot Texas
sun
has made the plastic shell brittle in spots. Structurally it seems sound,
but areas were the plastic has broken away has created a couple sharp and
jagged spots that could be dangerous. I am thinking of just glassing the
whole thing, but I wanted to ask a few questions first. First and foremost
do you think it is worth the trouble? Given my current financial position,
it is either this or nothing. So I guess I should be asking IF it would
work? If I try it should I use polyester, or epoxy? Will it melt the
Styrofoam were it contacts? What weight cloth? Do you think one layer
would
do the trick? Sorry about all the questions. I've done glasswork before,
but
I'm far from being a pro. Unfortunately I don't know the make either.
Thank
you very much for your responses.

I think for the money you would spend on it, that you could find a nice
previously owned Laser, Sunfish, Force 5 or another fun type dinghy.

Leanne



wrote in message
m...
Please help, I'm in need of some advice. My brother bought a cheapo used
sailboat at a garage sail over ten years ago. He has since then abandoned
it
and said that I can have it if I want it. A recent visit to a friend's
beach
house in Florida has rekindled my interest in sailing and I'm thinking of
trying to fix it up. The problem is that it looks cheaper than I remember;
Styrofoam incased in plastic. Then 10+ years of sitting in the hot Texas
sun
has made the plastic shell brittle in spots. Structurally it seems sound,
but areas were the plastic has broken away has created a couple sharp and
jagged spots that could be dangerous. I am thinking of just glassing the
whole thing, but I wanted to ask a few questions first. First and foremost
do you think it is worth the trouble? Given my current financial position,
it is either this or nothing. So I guess I should be asking IF it would
work? If I try it should I use polyester, or epoxy? Will it melt the
Styrofoam were it contacts? What weight cloth? Do you think one layer
would
do the trick? Sorry about all the questions. I've done glasswork before,
but
I'm far from being a pro. Unfortunately I don't know the make either.
Thank
you very much for your responses.

This boat is definitely not worth the materials that you would put into it,
not to mention the time. You mentioned that you are located in Texas. This
site:

http://www.sailingtexas.com/cboats.html

has listings of very inexpensive small boats most of which are located in
Texas. You should probably be able to find a good boat for abot $200,
which is less than you will spend on the yard sale project. Keep the mast
and sail off the delabidated boat. It might fit a Sunfish style hull that
someone is selling cheap.

David
S/V Nausicaa

I was given a boat in much the same condition. I put it on top of my car,
after having bought a bit of line to setup the main sheet and halyard.

I took it to Highland Beach, Florida (north of Boca, south of Boynton),
and sailed it a couple of times in the ocean. Then, I took it to a
landfill on my way to the Keys for a vacation.

It was worth the effort, and I was glad to dump it at a landfill for about
$5 or so.

1) Don't even bother with this if the styrofoam has water in it; it's not
worth it.

2) Don't bother with the glass and epoxy/polyester. If it's poly, it
won't stick. If it's epoxy, it's a waste of time, money, and precious
hydrocarbons (that's not petroleum you're using, it's men's lives).

3) Use it for a short while, and find a good safe place to dispose of it.
Anything else will be a waste of your time, money, and precious resources.




wrote:
: Please help, I'm in need of some advice. My brother bought a cheapo used
: sailboat at a garage sail over ten years ago. He has since then abandoned it
: and said that I can have it if I want it. A recent visit to a friend's beach
: house in Florida has rekindled my interest in sailing and I'm thinking of
: trying to fix it up. The problem is that it looks cheaper than I remember;
: Styrofoam incased in plastic. Then 10+ years of sitting in the hot Texas sun
: has made the plastic shell brittle in spots. Structurally it seems sound,
: but areas were the plastic has broken away has created a couple sharp and
: jagged spots that could be dangerous. I am thinking of just glassing the
: whole thing, but I wanted to ask a few questions first. First and foremost
: do you think it is worth the trouble? Given my current financial position,
: it is either this or nothing. So I guess I should be asking IF it would
: work? If I try it should I use polyester, or epoxy? Will it melt the
: Styrofoam were it contacts? What weight cloth? Do you think one layer would
: do the trick? Sorry about all the questions. I've done glasswork before, but
: I'm far from being a pro. Unfortunately I don't know the make either. Thank
: you very much for your responses.

Two recommendations:
Duct tape! Use no more than one roll to bandage the wounds.
Use the boat only in water which is shallow enough that you can walk to shore.

wrote:

Please help, I'm in need of some advice. My brother bought a cheapo used
sailboat at a garage sail over ten years ago. He has since then abandoned it
and said that I can have it if I want it. A recent visit to a friend's beach
house in Florida has rekindled my interest in sailing and I'm thinking of
trying to fix it up. The problem is that it looks cheaper than I remember;
Styrofoam incased in plastic. Then 10+ years of sitting in the hot Texas sun
has made the plastic shell brittle in spots. Structurally it seems sound,
but areas were the plastic has broken away has created a couple sharp and
jagged spots that could be dangerous. I am thinking of just glassing the
whole thing, but I wanted to ask a few questions first. First and foremost
do you think it is worth the trouble? Given my current financial position,
it is either this or nothing. So I guess I should be asking IF it would
work? If I try it should I use polyester, or epoxy? Will it melt the
Styrofoam were it contacts? What weight cloth? Do you think one layer would
do the trick? Sorry about all the questions. I've done glasswork before, but
I'm far from being a pro. Unfortunately I don't know the make either. Thank
you very much for your responses.

On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 17:18:22 GMT, in message

Jim Conlin wrote:

Two recommendations:
Duct tape! Use no more than one roll to bandage the wounds.
Use the boat only in water which is shallow enough that you can walk to shore.

From what I recall of sailing one of these things many years ago,
that's good advice for getting it go up wind as well.

wrote:
Sorry about all the questions. I've done glasswork before, but
I'm far from being a pro. Unfortunately I don't know the make either. Thank
you very much for your responses.

If you have some skills and are ready to work, you can probably get
more sailing by volunteering to help somebody on their restoration of
a boat more worthy of the time, effort, and money. Good skippers value
good crew, especially those who are ready to work on the boat.

Ryk