Sail Lifevideo
Sail Life - New deck on a sailboat DIY style ⛵⛵⛵
October 15, 2017 · 20 min · 73K views
What this video covers
Mads continues the DIY restoration of Athena, a 38-ft sailboat, by replacing the deck core and applying new fiberglass laminate.0:06 After removing the original teak deck and rotted plywood core, the project moved to laying up 830-gram triaxial fiberglass.0:24 To manage epoxy viscosity in cold, damp conditions, a makeshift insulated box heated by a silicon mat and temperature controller keeps the resin at 25°C.4:50 The team uses peel ply to minimize surface imperfections, though some areas require sanding to address air bubbles.8:11 When local West System epoxy costs proved prohibitive and UK shipping times too long, a German-sourced alternative was tested for secondary bonding strength on existing laminate.14:15 The work involves manual layup rather than vacuum bagging or infusion due to the team's limited experience.12:14 Despite a setback involving a fall through the forward hatch that damaged fiberglass supplies, the crew successfully laminated the center and side sections of the foredeck.13:01
Boats in this video
More from Sail Life
From Sail Life — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.
The Sailing Directory Newsletter
One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.