Living For Sailvideo

⛵️ This DIY Sailboat Repair Has To Work... Right?

June 14, 2026 · 24 min · 10K views

What this video covers

Restoration of a 1989 Liberty 458 involves structural repairs to the transom and bulwarks, primarily focused on moisture remediation and hardware mounting.0:09 To dry the water-saturated transom, a dehumidifier and space heaters proved insufficient, prompting the use of a vacuum pump to draw moisture from the fiberglass.0:59 Because the surface was too scratched for a vacuum bag seal, a thin layer of resin was applied to create an airtight surface.9:23

For the bulwark repairs, the owner plans to fill voids left by rotten plywood with a pour-in waterproof compound.12:51 To reattach 24 stanchion bases, he is designing custom 1-inch thick G10 backing plates.13:25 He uses 3D-printed cylinders to align existing, inconsistently drilled holes, scans the parts, and models the plates in FreeCAD for fabrication.18:58 Additionally, the project includes installing a Hydrovane self-steering system, for which he has received the H and A mounting brackets.2:12 The owner intends to use a 2-inch pipe as a dummy shaft to position these brackets on the rebuilt transom.2:43

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Boats in this video

Liberty 458Their boat

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