hull to cap joint and 5200

[stevebrownell]

Will,

I just did that "fix" this weekend - applied a generous bead of 5200 between the hull to cap joint. After a good hit on a pier last year, the hull had broken away from the cap joint on my '72 20 SF, and since my boat has a full liner, there was no access from the inside. I ground all the loose material and old bedding compound from the joint with a DA sander and brass wire wheel, hit it with acetone and then with the 5200. Once it set up, it was a hell of a lot more solid than it's been in many years. I'm also going to run 2 layers of 9 oz tape along this joint, to give it additional stiffness and give the rubrail screws something to bite into. If you are through-bolting the hull and cap, it will likely work, but IMHO the 5200 is a good step in tying the two pieces together; any additional reinforcement would make sense. Regarding making this joint permanent, I think that it makes more sense than repairing it so that it can be disassembled, plus, a permanent fix would be more solid. Lastly, I think the 5200 & glass/epoxy route is probably the tightest joint your gonna get.

just my $.02
Let me know if you want to see some pics.