Living For Sail · video

What this video covers

To evaluate repair methods for waterlogged, rotten sailboat decks, a series of destructive tests on saturated fiberglass-balsa core panels compares baseline performance against epoxy injection, polyurethane glue injection, and vacuum-assisted drying. Using a 20-ton hydraulic shop press equipped with a load cell and dial gauge, the testing measures deflection and structural integrity of samples salvaged from a scrapped vessel. Baseline samples with rotten cores show negligible structural resistance, performing similarly to panels with no core at all. Injecting unthickened 5:1 marine epoxy significantly increases stiffness and load-bearing capacity, though it adds 30% to 40% to the panel's weight and requires blind faith in the distribution of the resin through the unpredictable rot. Polyurethane glue provides a lighter, cheaper alternative but yields lower structural strength than epoxy, as the resulting open-cell foam fails to bond as effectively to the substrate. Vacuum drying successfully reduces moisture content in saturated samples, confirming the theory that lowering pressure facilitates water evaporation at room temperature.

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