Structural repair

[Trailer_sailor]

Hi All

I'm repairing a patch of damp core in a Swift 18. I've removed all the rotten core, rounded the edges of the patch and ground a bevel. The next step is to glue in some ply to replace the rotten core. I've attached photos of where I'm up to. As you can see the rotten area passes over the top of the mast support beam. The pad below the mast step can be seen on one side. So this area will experience loading from the mast, and the repair needs to preserve the structural integrity of the original.

It's clear that the deckhead and support beam were made as two separate parts, so to repair in a way that is faithful to the original would be to remove the beam, glass in the patch then glass the beam back. A major effort which I'd like to avoid. Instead I plan to leave the beam in place and place a patch on each side. Both patches would connect to the beam by a fileted right angle bend. The beam is about 4cm thick so that's all the overlap I have to attach the glass to.

I'd appreciate thoughts on whether this repair scheme will give the strong and stiff result I need.

 

[Boathook]

To my mind you need to fill the gap between beam and deck. Are you able to work in bits of ply covered in resin and use a syringe to inject a thickened resin into any gap left ?

 

[Trailer_sailor]

Yes, I've finished the cutting the ply. Three pieces, the middle one can be slipped behind the beam with a good 'buttering' of thickened epoxy.