Sailing Squibvideo
Squib's Refit - Episode 22
27 April 2023 · 21 min · 754 views
What this video covers
To reinforce flexible, damaged fibreglass deck hatches, the crew removes the original teak veneer and laminates structural supports to the underside.Watch The repair process begins by grinding away the gelcoat on the hatch interior using a flap disc on an angle grinder, followed by smoothing with an orbital sander.0:57 For one hatch, the crew cuts a square of salvaged plywood from an old chart table, bonds it to the underside with thickened epoxy, and clamps it for two days to cure.10:41 For a second, more severely bowed hatch, they fabricate two hardwood stiffening strips on a table saw, beveling the edges at 45 degrees before laminating them into place with two layers of 300-gram fibreglass mat and epoxy resin.12:49 After structural reinforcement, the exterior teak is replaced using Sikaflex 298 for bonding and Sika 290 DC for deck caulking, with Sikaflex 291 used for perimeter seals.19:49 The project requires approximately 30 hours of labour, 500 grams of epoxy, and one square metre of fibreglass mat.20:31 Laminating rigid supports to the underside of thin fibreglass hatches prevents future deflection and structural failure.
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