SURPRISED by What I Found CUTTING UP OUR BOAT | Learning the Lines

In this video I start the major repair of the interior laminate of the main hull on our new to us 1991 Corsair F27, Desperado. I think you might be as surprised as I was at the extent of the damage.
What do you think? Leave a comment below.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not-A-Broker Consulting: / notabrokerconsulting
Facebook: / learningthelines
Instagram: / learningthelines
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning the Lines is a channel about us, an average couple in our 20's, with big dreams to be sailing the world by the time we're in our 30's. We're not afraid to jump into anything, put in the work, and learn as we go. We started out with Somnium, an O'day 272, moved onto Freebie, an Endeavour 32, and now are focusing on sailboat tours and working full time as teachers while we save up for our next boat.

[@paul_gradenwitz]

Congratulations with the first findings. The boat stands on supports with a small footprint. You are close to the perimeter of the garden. Consider to anchor the boat, tie off the boat, to the edge of the garden, house, so that it has no horizontal way to move. You will be jumping around on this boat for some while. Those extra ties will make it yet a bit more stable. Congratulations that the boat builders gave you so good advice. Looking forward to the next episodes.

[@SteifWood]

anchor? seriously?

[@dougschnelzer9168]

Love the variety in your channel. I started following during the boat tours which were very interesting to us. The repair on the new boat is great too!

[@joecucch8261]

Thanks for sharing this restoration with us ! So far the more I see of this boat, the more I like it !! This will be a great boat for you to get your sea legs back on !!!

[@mitchellmcpherson8489]

Love the boat, we are with you, and very happy to see you tear into it, not intimidated, we are with you and pray to the greater power. Stay strong. 💪

[@coug96fan]

You have a way of making it look easy. Your DIY attitude makes me realize on my projects that all I have to do is jump in and learn as I go.

[@craigmaurerd.c.wondersofch5253]

I have hull # 447....still think yours is a super score!!! have fun

[@jamesknape2883]

,I have a c 31, did some of what you are doing. Consider not putting floor back , glue on Eva foam right to floor, it's better on feet , more head room and lighter. To check for moisture in areas that look good, use a hole saw 3/4 inch and make hole in inner skin only. Dog out foam and patch with a disk of clear 1/8 plexiglass. Using silicone or other caulk. If there is moisture you will see condensation on the Plexi. Especially if your AC is on. If it's wet I put a shop vac over the open hole and sucked for 12 hours. It's supposing how the moisture travels in the kerfs of the foam. I left the Plexi covers on as indicators of if new moisture gets in , which has happened if water puddles in the bilge as it's only one layer of glass in places and pin holes are possible. Some boats have taken all the liners out and put surfboards in as seats, have also seen one with pipe berths of carbon tube and canvas. Lighten the boat and speed goes up alot. On exterior surface, get CLR put on full strength with long handle paint roller with 6 inch hot dog foam roller , leave wet for 5 minutes and scrub sideways with foam roller. Works best on warm days, if cold just leave on longer. If not perfectly clean use simple green the same way as step two. Then you should be clean and wax free enough to buff and wax. Two coats of collinite fleet paste wax lasts the best. Peel ply is your best friend, I wish I knew about when I rebuilt my floor

[@fanzineken9552]

NEVER use Silicone on a boat!! best is almost Sikaflex and alternatives. No Silicone!

[@Colleentfay]

Jordan, I compliment you on your expertise and your bravery! You've shown many boat owners and would-be owners that even major projects can be undertaken -- and completed -- if you think ahead, get good advice -- and take it, and be patient with yourself. Congratulations! You've given a lit of people lots to go on. Keep up the good work!

[@matthewfensterwald1853]

Get a 2x3 and cut it in half and use in the notch of your table, it will hold it all together and make a way better working space for future use. Love the videos, keep them coming

[@m.sawmill3136]

Finally!!!!!! Boat vids that show fixing and not so much enjoying sail boats. Been watching for a long time now and excited you are doing boat repairs!!!! Congrats on the baby and boat!!!!

[@dadio917]

I've got hull #89. I'm surprised how different it is. For one thing the cabin sole is wood and removable. For another thing there are ribs from starboard to port maybe 4' apart. A very different boat!

[@SailingOTR]

Definitely would recommend adding "floors" or as you call them ribs to the hull. Remember to leave limber holes for drainage.

[@alistairi]

Might be worth looking at alternatives to balsa for the new core. Apparently they only used balsa on a small number of boats (mine included) due to supply issues with the synthetic high-density material they used on most boats. This would avoid any future balsa rot issues. The boat definitely looks like it has been dropped or improperly chocked at some point.

[@ianbedwell4871]

There are plenty of high density foam options, also they don’t absorb water and also take resin well

[@blueyhis.zarsoff1147]

They all still have balsa down the middle, its way stronger and cheaper than high density foam.

[@gregfeldman6818]

Balsa was intentionally used on the main hull of the 27s in a narrow strip down the center because of it’s strength to weight ratio. Balsa was also used in the earlier models of the 27 on the float decks. The newer boats do not have Balsa.

[@blueyhis.zarsoff1147]

@@gregfeldman6818 They certainly did from the 27 right up to maybe a 760/880 ( not fixed one yet) have it down the middle, nothing to do with strength to weight its all about the crushability. Sure balsa shouldnt be in the deck and doesnt need to be, it was just cheaper. I have not worked on a 27 and not seen any balsa in any other models except down the middle. The quality of the builds is getting better under Seawind.

[@awbskymac8149]

I think this is going to be really interesting I like the way you're not fazed by the job ahead one of the best rebuilds was sail life with Mads

[@LearningtheLines]

It's easier to be level headed and optimistic about a boat project when the boat's sitting next to your house.

[@gregfeldman6818]

Smart to live at the job site when doing this scope of work. Also smart to not be in a rush & be well funded.

[@davidhendrie6935]

So glad to find the balsa was mostly dry and that it's only a stringer. I was helping my friend with the F31 over the weekend getting his boat out for winter and we discussed your situation. We were hoping that water ingress hadn't turned the core into mush, which would leave that single layer to buckle and crack. We both agree that a single layer is insufficient where the cracks occurred. Maybe extend the 2nd layer to cover those?

[@Useless_Knowledge07]

Kudos to Corsair for getting back to you. I'm learning a lot here and you just begun. This is going to be awesome! There's a lot of Corsairs around here on the hard until season which is almost here.

[@timothyarmesy990]

That appears to be a pretty significant grounding event,going on there. Yep do all the interior stuff like you are being advised. Maybe take a good long look at exterior hull when you get a chance. Don’t pay no attention to us armchair yard bosses, just do your thing. Stay cool, take time to watch your daughter grow!!

[@bradmottishaw467]

Besides the difference from most sailing channels in the boat tours, you are also different in that you are both still working while enjoying your sailing experiences. I love that you show people that you can't always just cast off the lines.

[@CheersWarren]

The holes I suspect was somebody trying to find out the extent of the water in the foam core and or let it out! You might need to make sure the foam core is not crushed by the impact damage outherwise It will be ineffective. Nice project to film. Cheers Warren

[@davidbrunton1333]

Happy for you Jordan . . . . . . . with the manufacturer's in the loop too . . . . . good start !

[@stephengreen2898]

So excited you guys are sharing this. Great channel…. Considering getting my own …. Thanks

[@birddogz545]

You bought the Rambo survival knife, welcome to the 80's. LOL. Every kid wanted one of those back then.

[@scottgenius9189]

Nice Project , looking forward to future videos and launch day ,those trimarans fly

[@jtechie3]

WOW man I just bought one of these boat ayear ago and I was going thru my head how to open the boat up in my yard! Very cool and this boat is very nice on the water! I sailed mine 6 times last year. This boat looks that maybe someone ran this aground somewhere? You are doing some crazy work I cant wait to see you patch this back up!

[@dobie2times]

I think I would push the easy button and put a “basement” compartment in where it is open with a floorboard that is removable. Makes for some be lightweight storage for longer trips B without adding much weight. Keep up the good work

[@fanzineken9552]

Hey! It's going to be a great project! It's my pleasure. A little tip: for sawing with the hand-held circular saw, use 4 saw stands or an old sheet of plywood underneath, in which you can then simply saw a few millimeters. So everything stays stable. Greats from northern Germany and North sea - have fun! 👍

[@lancedaniels]

Thanks for posting and sharing. Glad to hear the good news about the extent of damage and needed repairs.

[@donnarocchio936]

Looking forward to the boat repair, and joining you on the progress to getting you back out on the water with the family. Happy projects days ahead.

[@jshenderson]

the AC isn't that loud. Nice job

[@carolsiu5640]

Awesome video! You are doing a great job with your video! I am so looking for to your future videos! I am so in love with your boat! I am glad she has you to fix her up!

[@jerrywilson589]

Nice video! Better than the boat tours in my opinion. Keep up the great work!

[@LearningtheLines]

Thanks! I like filming the boat tours, but I like working on my own boat more! 😁

[@kellydtth2749]

Jack hawk 8000! I wish I could be there to give you a hand. Great job man.

[@robertjohansen7191]

Excellent video! So nice to see you back in the DIY business :)

[@RaiseHull]

I don't think that the cracks in the inner laminate were caused by water sitting in the hull. That ugly previous repair may shed some light on it, that's not the location for the thru-hulls for the instruments, and in this video you can see better that it's a larger repair. I think the cracks came first and then the water intrusion, doubt the water seeped through the laminate and caused all this. Would at least pull the trailer from under the boat and inspect the outside of the hull around those areas, might need to remove some bottom paint.

[@handleymachine4421]

Unless she spent any time in the northern latitudes. Freezing water pushes mountains apart. Fibreglass laminate would be child’s play for that sneaky molecule. Having said that. It sounds like it’s known history has it in Florida. And I agree that further inspection would be prudent.

[@RaiseHull]

@@handleymachine4421 I agree that water freezing in a laminate would cause damage and perhaps like that. But I noticed the FL registration and figured that was unlikely. Also, in the videos you can see fractures in the outside edges of the rear flotation compartment when looking aft from the cabin. That looks to me like the bottom of the boat was deflected upward. Also, from experience with my own '91 F-27 - I had a small deck leak in the aft cabin that dribbled water down to rear bunk/flotation compartment. The access port ring hadn't been sealed at the factory. Through many years the collected water filled the rear compartment almost completely. The one day I happened to look in that port I was floored. Pumped it dry, no damage, nothing had seeped into the laminate, no rotten core, no cracks. And I live in an area where that likely froze from time to time. I went and checked it again yesterday after seeing this - all good. I have seen a waterlogged F-25C (carbon fiber balsa construction) that did ultimately have a rotten core, but even that boat didn't have cracking like this one.

[@J.Smith-rc6wh]

I agree, cracks are very clean, like it happened all at once, I think it has been dropped, popped the bottom of the hull in one go, then water intrusion came later

[@torq1116]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the work you do and how it all turns out. Should be an interesting journey!

[@TheWaterbouy88]

Great call contacting the factory about the repair. What about adding bulkhead(s) with flanges for floor support and points of connection the removed floor sections?

[@ianbedwell4871]

Pallets are the boat repair friend, esp if you get them for free. Thicker than ply and easy to pull apart

[@symphonyfarm2009]

Get Em! Can't wait to see the family boat camp on this puppy!

[@dawei1237]

Very cool to see her opened up on the trailer, reminds me of my Hobie Cat Adventure Island single, which I have a helluva good time on the water with. You have a diamond in the rough, bro, you are going to love shooting around the Florida waters there. Now that you have discovered that it is not as bad as you thought, quickly get it fixed up and go enjoy some fun out on the sea with the family... Hahaha... Don't sell it, keep it, you'll have so much fun around where you are and guaranteed, you will have people offering you money for her... DESPERADO... Hahaha... Love it!

[@robertgarbe6348]

Thanks for the great candid blow by blow project. It feel's like we are really there, without the itchy fiberglass part. LOL

[@LaughterOnWater]

Me the armchair expert: "Looks like you're doing everything right!" Seriously, what a great discovery that the boat needs less repair than expected. Stay safe out there!

[@robcatterton8244]

I hope you guys are able to complete this one. I felt so bad watching all the unfinished project on freebie, and the disappointment you guys must have felt having to abandon your plans.

[@Backnine907]

"It ONLY cost me $350.00 at home Depot" LOL!

[@rumblechick73]

I thought I mis-heard that! LOL Seriously $350 for a single sheet of plywood?

[@Backnine907]

@@rumblechick73 I am sure all it was is a tongue and cheek joke about the cost of plywood nowadays.

[@banjonichols3063]

Thank you for sharing.

[@paulwyand6204]

Personally I would error on the side of overbuilding. Your not likely to be racing so don't worry about weight the way the factory was. You will have your family on board! The light build is likely what caused the issue, as they were built to be fast, not to last.

[@LearningtheLines]

This can be done to an extent. The issue with overbuilding is if you end up adding too much weight you will likely change the sailing characteristics of the boat, causing a safety issue. These boats are only meant to weigh a certain amount, and carry a certain amount. Anything over the designed loaded displacement is unsafe.

[@Aphxphotog]

learning the lines with the hand in every shot!

[@CS-in3pg]

Jordan, just shake off the performance anxiety when the cameras are rolling and dig into the problem. We have faith in you 😉

[@shalaconballard9912]

make the tops of the stands into swivels so they lay against the hull and shorten two of the inside legs of those stand so they slant inward .

[@rlong9830]

Insulate the Vent pipe on that AC unit. Its radiating heat right back in the boat.

[@fxpthl]

Well sir, you have quite a project looking at you, but at least it isn’t anywhere near as bad as once thought. Bravo on that AC unit!

[@brianaustin1328]

great project! Keep the videos coming!

[@z_actual]

What Im thinking I am seeing are longitudinal ruptures of the inner liner, but not hearing why. This is like what happens to a coke can pressure rupture, which always goes longitudinal. The same is true for fuel trailers, cylindrical fuel storage tanks etc. Ok so Im thinking that its like this boat bellied out on a shoal, which would cause the inner liner to fail in tension, and as with the usual path they're longitudinal cracks or separations. Why in tension? Well if you were to push on the outer skin, the inside has to grow to remain in contact with the core. With the liner stretching to make the curve from the pressure of the push, it gets to a point were it cannot. So either the core crushes (which might have also happened) or the inner liner cracks in the direction we determined, leaving longitudinal separations. Checking that the core and skin are mostly attached, and repairing the crack by grinding grooves into the skin and rejoining the edges, then adding laminate to the inside should take care of the repair. But to be sure drill out the ends of cracks so they cant propagate any further.

[@PastorwithoutaPulpit]

Very happy for you that the damage is less than you thought. That forward compartment with the stress fractures at the spots where it connects to the hull has me wondering how they could be like that without damage to the actual hull? Looking forward to that repair as well as the rest of it. When you get to that section it will be interesting to see how the hull could have flexed enough to make those stress fractures. Unless of course it was due to compression from the top down which I have no idea how that could have happened. Over all this is going to be a very cool series on this refit. Best of luck and may you find and attain all the materials you'll need...

[@dennishammeren4961]

Still worth the money

[@matthiasvonmutius9264]

Hi, I think that the Desperado has had some bad grounding once on the back. So I would cut open the cracks in the inner laminate with the multi tool, make a V-groove then check for crushed or ripped apart core at these places. If this is the case the gaps can be filled with thickened epoxy. You just need low density filler with a bit of fibre in. So you reconnect the core parts, then comes your laminate over the areas of concern. Matthias F9RX

[@richardallen1816]

The simpler the mechanical device from harbor freight, the more reliable it tends to be. Yeah, hammers, wrenches etc are all dependent on quality of materials, but stands tend to just need stronger stays on them, because I never fear the large threads giving way on them. Just my opinion of course. I am learning a lot from your channel and another on different types of boat builds, and their strengths and weakness'. Keep on keeping on brother.

[@richsander1118]

It looks like Desperado fell off the trailer as they were pulling it out if the water!

[@shalaconballard9912]

Something that makes a good compression pad is you know those white cutting boards you see at Wal Mart for around 10 dollars . Just cut them to fit .

[@fanzineken9552]

Yes! I've waiting! 😊

[@ccpederson1769]

Don't cut no corners, when your ready t o sell ,you can rest , & know the next person who has it , will be safe for them to sail.

[@Xpyburnt_ndz]

So glad it's not as horrid as originally thought! Time to Snoopy dance! LOL

[@johneldengibbons9413]

Watching this is awesome. I Keep talking to my friend in AK about this repair. I own a Venture 22 and my wife is all in on upgrading to a Corsair.

[@johneldengibbons9413]

I like the name.Eagles fan

[@onlyychevys]

Starboard would be perfect for the compression pads!

[@pjposton5001]

It's also easy to change the "do" to "te" if you need to...Desperado to Desperate!!! Just kidding, glad the glass work looks better than expected. I look forward to every episode.

[@markthomasson5077]

I would remove all the inner and core. Reinforce the outer skin, then form a egg crate of mini bulkheads and stringers. As the inner skin is cracked, I would be concerned that the outer skin could also be damaged.

[@lincolngrayson1013]

I love Harbor Freight but Brother who is a craftsmen, hates Harbor Freight tools. He uses his tools for work, I use my tools once in awhile at home.

[@bizeigel]

Nothing wrong with HF tools, mostly

[@SjedniJedan]

There were some strong Breaking Bad wibes there for a moment. But then you started cutting instead of cooking :D

[@dawei1237]

Hahaha... Hahaha... Hahaha

[@hrvojebartulovic7870]

I've got such a survival kit. Can't wait to get lost in a jungle to justify the buy before my wife! The problem is I live in a city on the Dalmatian coast! 😂 The worst that can happen to me is to run out of coffee !

[@markbailey6051]

If I could I would omit the bouncy compartment to lower the sole for more room.My bouncy would be a float bag that I could inflate and deflate when needed.

[@brianpetersen3429]

Excellent progress.

[@bostonpaulmakes6927]

Apropros of very little: that style bowie knife used to be marketed as a 'Survival' knife, and every teenage boy who watched the Rambo movies lusted after one.

[@ThoughtfulWander]

Progress!! Keep rolling!!

[@John-Nada]

Do any Corsair owners build mini bulkheads in the bilge to improve rigidity? I guess it accumulated a ton of rainwater inside.

[@hermitoldguy6312]

I agree it would be worth doing. It doesn't even have to be solid, it could be just a ring-doughnut shape.

[@miacondia6032]

The pirate look suits you well

[@davidbrunton1333]

LOL ......He needs a Parrot ......like Tally Ho

[@across_the_plane6800]

Absolutely insane plywood cost

[@nhroadhog7701]

$350.00 for a sheet of plywood, that is a good deal!! 😁

[@patrickgilhooly8340]

You stole that F-27, appreciate it.

[@danieloliver20]

I'm loving your setup next to your house with great A.C., so it's full speed ahead with the grinding... I'm wondering if alot of the cracking is from the trailer bunks, maybe they were not positioned correctly and bouncing on some rough roads did the damage. Clearly water has seeped into the core and glass and has resulted in the delamination. It would also be good to see if there is any cracking on the outer hull on corresponding areas, now's the time to address it if there is... hahaha, my 2 cents!! 💪

[@philipallard8026]

Love the diy content.

[@d3w4yn3]

$350, that was hilarious!!!

[@neilfuller3172]

If there is cracking inside would it not imply that there may be cracking outside and the foam may have delaminated off the outer surface. Have you taken off the antifoul outside to check?

[@TheTir1962]

Would it be difficult to make those areas you opened into some accessible storage areas?

[@TheTir1962]

@@wametcalf could not get the weight any lower in the hull. Water maker...other systems and or dry goods storage.

[@raybignell]

I have never seen drop down floats. Just love the concept. Good luck with the rebuild.

[@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665]

Scandinavian Dragonflys go up to 40 odd feet but they have a range down to this size and have won awards for their interiors and sailing performance.. Def. worth taking a look for ideas...

[@FlipCouvillion]

Excellent content🤙

[@omvaren]

you pump out hot air...a lot of it. What air is replacing the pumped-out-air you think?

[@sbwinn]

The holes look like they were drilled from the outside, and probably epoxy injections from the exterior to attempt to stabilize the situation without opening it up and doing a proper repair.

[@Steve211Ucdhihifvshi]

yep, everything related to a specific field is marked up to rip you off. Like weddings, need a venue? price is marked up 300% just a birthday party no worries way cheaper. IT pays to look and think outside the box.

[@alanduncan9204]

That Bowie knife would get you a long jail sentence in Scotland....

[@michiganengineer8621]

What's the price difference between the half inch balsa and half inch divinycel? If it's a minor difference I'd be tempted to replace the rotted balsa with the foam.

[@kentyson5315]

Looking forward to following the repair, still think your boat was a great buy!

[@LearningtheLines]

You and me both!

[@handleymachine4421]

Can one of these boats be folded and extended while on the water? Just wondering about narrow slips.

[@johnredmond9079]

I would take that bottom off that is glued on and go the whole floor with repair.

[@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665]

Definately a sigh of relief ..... If you leave a strip all round your cut outs you can bond a epoxy resin marine ply sub floor In place with an overhanging lip .. If you use stainless steel 4 point Tee nuts drill a hole from above and insert from below they are self locking threaded metal inserts ...you might use 6mm ones for stainless pan head set screws to hold the floor cut outs backed in place just by screwing them back in place .. if the ply is about 9-10 mm it will reinforce the floor and cross brace the hull 🤔plus..you can always remove the panels you've cut out if you get a problem. I would just cut a removable commercial vehicle carpet sole piece.. a few glued velcro pads to stop slipping and it will cover the all the surgery..it will also insulate and quieten any moving around and reduce the risk of breakages .. i hate laminated floors so do two dead phones and several pieces of crockery.😂 If it gets sandy, wet or dirty you can whip it out give it a shake off or scrub and hang it out on the tramps to dry and freshen up...and its cheap to do 😉 I also recommend having some stainless spire clips on hand for fixing to thin sheet material like fiberglass, plastic or metal where screws might otherwise pull through.

[@fooman2108]

Best easiest way to cut that foam is go down to the thrift store and find a used electric caring knife.....

[@miketee2444]

The Air Con. Will pay dividends when you start mixing epoxy and Resin. Mixing in the heat is wasteful and time consuming. It sucks having to rush because your mix is firing off before you can even get it laid out.

[@davidpearson8954]

do you need to add some lateral port to starboard bracing to prevent this from happening again in the future?

[@paulhearn2857]

Less talk more action👍🏻 Good luck

[@dtonvista]

It would not have mattered if you had bought a bigger Cat or a Mono Hull, any 20 year old boat will need some repair work! Finding a perfect 20 year old boat would be $$$

[@wilfredromer9628]

Hi Guys I think a Sawzall would have been a better tool for cutting.

[@mikakari9498]

That damage was caused by trailering, maybe fell off the trailer or something. Replace the balsa with some other material, maybe you could use divinycell there as well.

[@bizeigel]

That balsa part was added, to give compression strength that the divinyl foam doesn't have, so when it's on the trailer it lends support. There is a trailer bunk that corresponds to that location. The designer did that on purpose. My boat has same feature.

[@justtocomment6261]

Wait, did you just say that the piece of plywood 'only ' costs 350 dollars??