# How to repair very small crack in Escape Rumba (13' plastic sailboat)?



## DanielF (Jun 20, 2011)

I picked up a ten year old Escape Rumba the other day for $50. The only problem with it is a very small crack - 2.5" x 1/8" - towards the back of the swing keel slot (is this called the trunk?). It's in the slot, but just barely, e.g. it is easily accessible. See below photo for reference.

How can I patch up the crack? Can I simply use an off the shelf caulking, do I need to use some marine specific sealant or silicone, or is my best bet going to be a plastic weld?


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## CorvetteGuy (Jun 4, 2011)

I would think a 2 part epoxy of sorts, chalking is for doors and windows.


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## DanielF (Jun 20, 2011)

CorvetteGuy said:


> I would think a 2 part epoxy of sorts, chalking is for doors and windows.


Actually my thinking was that, because the boat is plastic, the rock hard epoxy would not work so well. I've worked with epoxy and fiberglass before, though not in the context of boats.


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## svHyLyte (Nov 13, 2008)

You might want to take a look at this Polyethylene Repair Kit


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## Propertydoctor (Jul 3, 2011)

Hi Daniel!

First, please stop by the Escape Rumba Help forum here http://www.sailnet.com/forums/introduce-yourself/82455-escape-rumba-help.html
We would love to have you join us.

Second, crack repair.
*DO NOT* try to use any polyurethane or silicone. Silicone just doesn't stick and polyurethane actually leaches the plasticizers out of the plastic making any plastic it touches become brittle over time.

You can *NOT* use any of the hard setting epoxies for this repair. The only epoxy on the market that will work is G-Flex by West Systems. With a little prep work this product will work for you. Their website has a good video on the product. G-Flex Torture Demo I bought my kit at my local West Marine store.

An even better repair and the way I completed 3 major crack repairs on my Rumba is to weld the repair from the outside and then reinforce the repair from the backside with the G-Flex product and some fiberglass tape. I used the Plastic Welding Kit 80 Watt Iron from Harbor Freight . Buy 2 because they are inexpensive and the tip will probably break off of at least one of them.

FYI- A local (Sarasota, FL) kayak shop quoted me $50 plus $20 an inch to weld the cracks with no guarantee. Had I gone that route I would have more in the welding than what the boat cost me.

To get to the back of the damaged area to place the G-Flex and fiberglass, you will have to cut an access hole in the deck to work through. This accomplishes a couple of things for you. The piece you take out provides you with guaranteed compatible material to use as welding filler so the access hole is the actual 1st step. 

After you're done backing up the welds the access hole needs to be filled and for that you will use a 4" or 6" deck plate with o-ring. This will provide you with the ability to inspect your repairs periodically and also provide ventilation to help dry out the interior of the hull after sailing.

WAIT! DRY OUT THE HULL! Yep... Of 4 boats that I have recently seen, 3 had cracking under the stainless mast and boom step and mine, in addition, had two 6" -8" cracks in the bottom of the hull at the leading edge of the runners. I repaired all of the cracks on mine exactly as described above, and feel confident that this was the right way to handle the repairs. I am still going to inspect the inside of the hull before and after every sail, though.

I hope this helps! Please feel free to post any further questions you may have or email me directly if you want.

Good Luck!
Robert


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## Propertydoctor (Jul 3, 2011)

I looked at the kit svHyLyte suggested, too. I found the torch method to be very difficult to manage and I didn't feel confident that the welding material provided would be compatible with the plastic in my boat. It definitely looked different. 
Good suggestion though!


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## DanielF (Jun 20, 2011)

Propertydoctor said:


> Hi Daniel!
> 
> First, please stop by the Escape Rumba Help forum here http://www.sailnet.com/forums/introduce-yourself/82455-escape-rumba-help.html
> We would love to have you join us.
> ...


Thanks for the tips, Robert! Is the fact that the crack is ever so slightly recessed in the rear of the keel trunk going to be a problem here? I would've done a duct tape weld like on my Sunfish had the surface been flat, but that would be difficult in this case. Also, do you think I'll even be able to get an access hole in the correct spot? The below photo shows the proposed location of said hole, but until I measure the crack distance from the transom I won't know if the hole will even be directly above the crack. Furthermore is placing an access hole in an area in which it could be stepped on going to be a problem? How do we seal the hole if I can't use silicone? As always, you input is very much appreciated.

Thanks!
Daniel

p.s. The other quirk about this particular boat, which I picked up for a mere $50, is a missing boom  Going to first hot bend a custom boom out of some PVC before I bother with the expense of having one made from an aluminum tube.


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## Propertydoctor (Jul 3, 2011)

Daniel, the most important thing to remember when working on and repairing the poly boats is... they aren't fiberglass. The advantages of a poly boat are they are practically impervious to chemicals and they are strong but flexible so they fend off most impact damage. Both of these positives are also negatives when it comes to repairing this material. I have used a duct tape bandage on my Sunfish too but the same type of fix won't last very long, underwater, on a poly boat, especially at the back of the centerboard trunk.

When I got your reply I went out to my boat and checked a few things and took some pictures for you. If the pictures don't show up in this post you can look at the album SailNet Community - Propertydoctor's Album: Escape Rumba crack repairs.

Yes, you can get a 5" deck access plate in the spot where you need to make the hole. From my quick look I think you will be within easy reach of the backside of the crack. These plates are made to be walked on so they will take sitting on them fine. When you buy a plate, make sure it has an o-ring seal, otherwise you will have water leaking into the hull from the plate.









Silicone is an excellent product when it is used as intended. That being said, silicone was never intended to be a very strong adhesive and because of the impervious properties of poly, the silicone can't make a chemical or mechanical bond with the plastic. BUT! If you use silicone under the flange of your deck access plate and install it loosely until the silicone cures, then tighten all of the fasteners against the backing plate, the silicone makes an excellent watertight gasket.









For my backing plate I used a cheap poly cutting board from Wal-Mart. The cutting board was about 3/8" thick and was rigid enough to stabilize everything when the stainless flat head machine screws with nuts and lock washers got tightened down. You will have to cut the backing plate so it will fit the flange of the deck access plate and I recommend clamping them together and pre-drilling the holes. Mark a reference point on both so you keep the backing plate oriented correctly in case any of the holes are off. You will also need to make a cut across the ring of the backing plate so you can twist it through the hole like you would put a key on a key ring.









Another thing to remember is, you do not want to install your deck access plate before you make your repairs. You want as much room as possible to get your arm into the hole and do the work, as it is you will be working blind inside the hull. You also do not want to get any epoxy on the threads or the o-ring, or you will be buying another deck access plate.

Here are some pictures of the epoxy/glass repairs on the inside. The dark marks you see are sharpie marker points I used as reference to make sure the glass tape was over the crack. I did use 2 layers of fiberglass cloth tape, the first layer was 2" wide and the second was 4". I used the G-Flex epoxy and followed the instructions for "flaming" the plastic for better adhesion.

















You will find the PVC boom is not strong enough to handle the loads imposed by the main. You can definitely use the PVC as a way to work out the dimensions and then use that pattern to fabricate your aluminum to. Keep in mind, the boom is sheeted at the mid point, there is enough stress at that point to fold a PVC boom in half. Maybe you could make the PVC boom and then insert a straight section of aluminum tubing to reinforce the length. Huh... interesting idea. I might just play with that on another boat I have. 
I don't know how much you know about the SmartRig but it is a variation of a product called the Hoyt Jib boom http://www.forespar.com/pdf/techTips/F5.1-Hoyt-Jib-Boom.pdf. Gary Hoyt is definitely a smart man.

Hope all of this helps and isn't too confusing. Let us know how your making out.

Robert


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## Ritchard (Aug 15, 2011)

Hats off to Robert for awesome and helpful posts in this thread.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Ahem; We repaired the poly water tank on my boat 3 years ago and it's still holding, even when the vent tube doesn't vent and the tank gets some pressure in it. It works! 3M Scotch-Weld DP8005 Acrylic Adhesive


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## Propertydoctor (Jul 3, 2011)

Thanks Denise! I was not aware of this product, but will definitely be looking into it.

Robert


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## paulgato (May 24, 2016)

Propertydoctor said:


> Daniel, the most important thing to remember when working on and repairing the poly boats is... they aren't fiberglass. The advantages of a poly boat are they are practically impervious to chemicals and they are strong but flexible so they fend off most impact damage. Both of these positives are also negatives when it comes to repairing this material. I have used a duct tape bandage on my Sunfish too but the same type of fix won't last very long, underwater, on a poly boat, especially at the back of the centerboard trunk.
> 
> When I got your reply I went out to my boat and checked a few things and took some pictures for you. If the pictures don't show up in this post you can look at the album SailNet Community - Propertydoctor's Album: Escape Rumba crack repairs.
> 
> ...


Hi PropertyDoctor, this is a few years on but I'm trying to repair an Escape Rumba and having huge problems just gaining access. The deck bolts are so tight it feels like I've put all the force on them I can without something snapping, and they barely move. I don't even know how they are secured as I can't remove one to see, but I guess there is a stainless threaded plug moulded into the hull that they screw into. Any clues would be most welcome!


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## Propertydoctor (Jul 3, 2011)

PaulGato - Contact me direct.

RFLucas64 at gmail dot com


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## paulgato (May 24, 2016)

Propertydoctor said:


> PaulGato - Contact me direct.
> 
> RFLucas64 at gmail dot com


Yup.


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