Boat was in a sea can next to a fire

[jehardiman]

Weird that the paint on the outside of plywood is gone. But yet the spare tire on the trailer looks fine.

That's from radiant heat, not actual flame. So whatever it was next to got really hot. In situations like this, with GRP structures, we would drill a small(ish) core sample using a hole saw. Sometimes it would only be the outer layer, sometimes it came out like a whole bunch of poker chips. It is all about how heat is transferred through the construction.

 

[wet feet]

I'm guessing no insurance,because I think an insurance company would send in a surveyor to assess the condition.Being fairly risk averse,they might well pay up after receiving the report.An owner faced with the prospect of a long swim home in the PNW region could do a lot worse than finding a surveyor and determining the full extent of the damage.A lot of epoxies have their bond strength degraded at about 95 deg C and that scorching took more than that temperature to occur.A bunch of people scattered around the world looking at image files are no substitute for a knowledgeable man (or woman)on the spot.If the extent of the repairs is fairly modest and within the ability of the owner and some professional help it might be possible to get the work signed off and get some insurance for the future.The heart of the matter is whether the boat is worth the considerable time and effort or whether the same effort would be better applied to building a new and improved boat.

 

[fallguy]

Yeah. Why no survey and insurance claim. I wondered same. Even without boat insurance, the can fire was the event.

 

[Tungsten]

Ya home made small boat. I sold the boat to this guy yrs ago.
He’s giving me first chance at getting it back.
Insurance is kinda up in the air. Boat was stored with a bunch of other families belongings on a farm.
Thx all. Still waiting on better pictures. Boat is 3 hr drive away from me so not heading that way in the future.

 

[Tungsten]

So a year later and I’ve looked first hand at it. Delaminating in a few spots. On the outside. The wooden gunnel scarfs are opened up. Some of the interior Corecell parts are warped. Not hot enough to melt the fuss on carpet or hurt the trailer wires or rubber. But enough to cause delaminating of the fibreglass.last pic is the bottom chine area. What’s the black lines from? Smoke?? Not sure

 

[Tungsten]

So this boat is 1/4 6mm sides wrapped in 6oz glass,floor is 12mm corecell Ill have to research the model of corecell M something ?. Was vacuum bagged 2x 12oz 45/45 ea side,another hand layup on the outer bottom of 18oz.Some Extra 6" tape was also put on the outer chine area.
Havent layed underneath yet to look for delam.
Im thinking its salvageable but going out on a lake will be a little uncomfortable the first time.So hard to know for sure.

 

[wet feet]

Salvage the trailer and junk the boat.For a boat of that size and simplicity,it will be easier to start again.

 

[Tungsten]

Yes, but just for knowledge what do you think the black lines are? Charing from heat Id assume? Perhaps from the paint? Was a two part epoxy.
Reading about Tg of the epoxy I think its referred to or maximum service temperature ?. 80-90C is when the epoxy starts to break down.

 

[fallguy]

Probably not corecell M, perhaps an earlier corecell with a lower hdt.

It is unlikely this boat was post cured. So the first thing to happen when the boat heats up, based on my somewhat amateur knowledge, is the epoxy begins to post cure when the temp reaches more than it has ever encountered; say around 140F.

This outgassing of the epoxy would bubble the paint or seek a way out. And so, that is the first bad thing to occur.

As the heat rose to the hdt of the core; or epoxy, the delamination occurred.

Or perhaps the black color is from the paint exceeding service temperature. But at any rate; these are the first things to go wrong..

Hard to say how hot how fast; so the other thing to recognize is the epoxy quickly goes to post cure; some outgassing, and maybe hot enough to burn on exit of the paint, or same with the paint; something exiting and burning on way out of the stasis.

 

[Tungsten]

Yeah the out gassing makes sense,thanks.

 

[Milehog]

I'd regard that boat like a car that has been in salt water, hidden problems are going to keep popping up forever.

 

[Tungsten]

Well the fela gave me the boat,not sure I really wanted it but Its something I built so its now sitting in my backyard.He kept the trailer.
Boat was designed for a local river to fly fish from ,it rowed real nice.Easy to maneuver around .I may just patch it up and go floating again a few times.But for now it will get tarped and stored.

 

[Tungsten]

Well here we are two years later. Got the itch to float my local river again so thought I’d try and get the old gal back on the water.
The side that got the most heat and showed the delam of the glass I was able to peel off. A heat gun helped get it all off. Was hoping for just some patches but 70% of it came off easy. There was two layers of 6oz glass on the outsides. The underneath layer looked good so I replaced the whole side.and some biax on the chine. Filled and got primer on it.

 

[Tungsten]

Got the rest cleaned up with some scrubbing. Found a used single jet ski trailer to haul the boat.
Got a chance to go for a float and catch some trout. Boat seams ok. Still some cosmetic damage but it’s seams strong. Rows really easy. Even had the electric motor going while casting to the banks.

 

[baeckmo]

...lady Phoenix !