# Glassing over hull/deck joint



## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

Is glassing over the hull to deck joint an effective way to prevent leaks, and strengthen the boat? If it is, then why are boat not made that way in the first place? I'm looking at a bazillion bolts to rebed this winter under the toe rail. Maybe glassing over them all would be more perminant solution.


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## LandLocked66c (Dec 5, 2009)

Subscribing...


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## mikel1 (Oct 19, 2008)

I believe some of the Ericsons (if not all) do have the hull deck joint glassed in....it was just a cost thing...Ericsons were very well built...out of business now. I have an E27.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Needs to flex, expand, contract, Very little leakage in general.


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## WDS123 (Apr 2, 2011)

what boat ?


answer depends a great deal on which boat


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

I think a Bristol 27 - at least that is the boat in his profile.


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

I think a Bristol 27 - at least that is the boat in his profile.

It has been done, probably most notably when Hal Roth took his Spencer 35 back to Vancouver and had Spencer do this, among other jobs. It's a big job because you have to fair the glass into the topsides and deck so it doesn't look odd.


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## imagine2frolic (Aug 7, 2008)

I believe it was the Roth's that glassed in Whisper when the leaks couldn't be stopped........*i2f*


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## olson34 (Oct 13, 2000)

Barquito said:


> Is glassing over the hull to deck joint an effective way to prevent leaks, and strengthen the boat? If it is, then why are boat not made that way in the first place? I'm looking at a bazillion bolts to rebed this winter under the toe rail. Maybe glassing over them all would be more perminant solution.


Ericson Yachts did that on most of their boats. It's very strong and leak proof, but does add another bunch of labor cost to the build. Their boats have a band of heavy roving on the inside, joining the deck and hull. Quite a few limited-production and custom boats are built that way.

Strictly "IMHO" but the next best method is to have the hull top end in an inside flange, with the deck attached by thru-bolts and nuts. Our boat is built that way, with the slotted alum. toe rail on top. This later system also required a take-apart mold - again, a bit more labor. My previous Niagara was build that way, too. No leaks, no problems.

LB


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## casey1999 (Oct 18, 2010)

AMEL construction method:

I. CONSTRUCTION:
 Hull: Extremely strong and solid one piece fibreglass laminate for the hull, keel and skeg.

My S&S34 is glassed on the inside along the hull/deck joint. I have heard another owner with this type boat had leaks and had the joint glassed on the outside- all leaks stopped.

If you can find a way to make it look good, I think it is a good option. The glass also would strengthen the joint and reduce flexing which causes leaks.

I think Swan may have glassed the joint also.


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

Hal Roth tried to stop leaks while cruising but it wasn't effective. He brought the boat back to Spencer and they removed the toerail and totally glassed the hull/deck joint over on the outside. Bronze castings were used for the stanchions and on the outside of them was a flat section that the new teak toerail was bolted to, eliminating a few hundred holes where the original toerail was bolted through. They also made the cockpit smaller by extending the cabin and removed the cabin top which was originally at 2 levels, making it one level for better dinghy storage. They lost headroom but Hal wasn't that tall. He also eliminated all the through hulls he could. This is described in "After 50,000 Miles" and has a picture of Whisper in the yard with this being done.


Glassing the hull/deck over on the outside is logical but drilling all the holes for the toerail sort of defeats the process. As described above a toerail bolted to custom stanchion bases eliminates most.


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## bwindrope (Feb 25, 2007)

I don't know about all Capital Yacht built boats, but our Gulf 32 has the joint glassed on the inside. A teak piece goes on the outside to hide the joint. Never had any problems, and can't imagine I ever will. I've always been grateful it is glassed as the alternatives sound much more sketchy.


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## casey1999 (Oct 18, 2010)

Left this part out on the AMEL specs:

• Monocoque/multi-cellular structure: The hull, deck, bulkheads, and the furniture are all laminated together to form
one piece whilst the vessel is still in the mould. This homogeneous assembly technique provides unsurpassed
strength and structural integrity,


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

The Cal 29 was bonded inside BUT the outward flange to hold the rubber rub rail made it very easy to damage as is was a secondary polyester bond and it took a good day of grinding to remove all the old stuff and repair it

The J24 is built with a much more rigid inward flange that the deck sits on top of and it never had and issue


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

Interesting stuff. The joint on the Bristol 27 is under the wood toe rail. The hull/deck bolts, the toe rail bolts, the genoa track bolts, the anchor fairleads, all go through on about the same line. I don't think it would be worth the trouble on my boat. Just was curious. 

I will be re-bedding the bolts, but, what do I use to help seal the joint? Clean it out and squirt 5200 in? Butyl? Bubble gum?


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## SloopJonB (Jun 6, 2011)

mitiempo said:


> Hal Roth tried to stop leaks while cruising but it wasn't effective. He brought the boat back to Spencer and they removed the toerail and totally glassed the hull/deck joint over on the outside. Bronze castings were used for the stanchions and on the outside of them was a flat section that the new teak toerail was bolted to, eliminating a few hundred holes where the original toerail was bolted through. They also made the cockpit smaller by extending the cabin and removed the cabin top which was originally at 2 levels, making it one level for better dinghy storage. They lost headroom but Hal wasn't that tall. He also eliminated all the through hulls he could. This is described in "After 50,000 Miles" and has a picture of Whisper in the yard with this being done.
> 
> Glassing the hull/deck over on the outside is logical but drilling all the holes for the toerail sort of defeats the process. As described above a toerail bolted to custom stanchion bases eliminates most.


A large number of Spencer built boats had a finished and gel-coated hull - deck joint. They had no toe rail on top - just the finished glass. The ones done this way did have a raised "bulwark" that formed the joint so there was footing at the deck edge, just no trim cap. Check out Spencer 35's and 1330's on Yachtworld to see what it looks like. Certainly wouldn't leak!


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

That would be the Mark II Spencer 35's, which were also a cored hull. They were built from 1975 on.

The original Spencer 35 (1962 to 1975) had a solid hull (and deck) and a teak toerail over the hull/deck joint. Hal Roth's Whisper was hull 29 built in 1966.


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