Sailing Catalpa · video

What this video covers

The crew of the 40-foot catamaran Catalpa performs a major hull restoration while hauled out at a boatyard in Puerto Penasco, Mexico. After a week of ineffective manual sanding, the crew switches to a gel plane to strip the hull back to the gel coat, revealing moisture trapped beneath previous repairs.6:00 This mechanical method proves significantly faster than sanding and allows the crew to address underlying osmosis and pitted fibreglass.10:06 The project also identifies a critical failure point in the vessel’s custom stainless steel sea chest, which shows severe electrolysis and corrosion.12:34 The crew evaluates replacing the manifold with either a 3-inch valve or a glassed-in fibreglass pipe to eliminate the risk of a major hull breach.14:09 While working, the crew prepares the vessel for the arrival of Hurricane Hillary by removing the headsail, securing the Bimini and solar panels, and reinforcing the jack stands.16:30 Proper hull preparation and sealing with an epoxy barrier coat are essential to preventing long-term osmosis and structural degradation.

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