How to Close Thru-hulls | Sailboat Restoration Ep. 30

[@nick.caffrey]

Nice work. It is not often you see people take pains to ensure that the work is done with care. This way, your boat will be trustworthy. But, and more importantly, you will KNOW that your boat is trustworthy!

[@Even_Keeled]

Thanks! It feels good to complete the last two requirements of the hull. In removing the two largest thru hulls, I can move forward with finishing the bottom.

[@weburnitatbothends]

Nice job

[@Even_Keeled]

Thanks!

[@bostonmish4533]

What are your thoughts on using the matt stack in the reverse order - largest circle first...

[@Even_Keeled]

I like having a large amount of surface area covered by that first patch. I’ve seen a lot of professionals do it that way. Conversely, some, concerned that there could be failure, prefer starting smaller and working up to largest so that each patch has a bond to the hull. Sorry for such a long response. And for full disclosure, on the inside of each thru-hull repair, I glassed small to large.

[@TedCriborn]

Did you grind down the inside as well with as many layers or was it a simpler job there?

[@Even_Keeled]

Great question. I repeated the process of revealing new glass and tapering the site before building it back up with layers. It wasn’t as expansive as the outer hull repair. It’s a thicker boat than most, and the thickened epoxy plugged well.