desmobob
07-11-2013, 07:33 PM
I'm finishing up the process of repairing my Mystic 29 hull as well as outfitting a new hull (same thing). The boats are for fun, not racing. Two other buddies of mine also have Mystic 29s, and we've all suffered hull splitting after impacts with docks, rocks, or each other. (We're all grown men in our 50's. Grown, but maybe not grown up....) :blush:
It seems to me that the splitting is caused by the batteries moving forward on impact, wedging the hull apart. I filled my sponsons with pool noodles and still suffered a split hull after a repairable dock impact. One of the pool noodles was driven all the way up into the tip of the sponson and I think the pool noodle was the wedge the split the hull in this instance. I'm thinking that filling at least the front of the sponsons with low-expansion foam, then putting some styrofoam blocks or pool noodle between the batteries and the foam will strengthen the hull and reduce the tendency to split and protect the batteries, too.
I did some searching on the forum and got the impression that the majority of folks prefer NOT to use expanding foam, opting for just pool noodles instead. I know that avoiding impacts is the real cure for our problem, but sometimes we run all afternoon and it seems like no matter how careful we are, there's some kind of collision eventually. (Sometimes I think we might be better off gluing the pool noodles around the perimeter of the hulls, with a double layer across the bow....):olleyes:
I have an aerosol can of the low-expansion foam and I know that once I use some of it, it's toast, so I was going to do both hulls. Does my plan sound OK, or should I just use the noodles and try really, really hard to be more careful (and hope my buddies are, too)?
Take it easy,
desmobob
It seems to me that the splitting is caused by the batteries moving forward on impact, wedging the hull apart. I filled my sponsons with pool noodles and still suffered a split hull after a repairable dock impact. One of the pool noodles was driven all the way up into the tip of the sponson and I think the pool noodle was the wedge the split the hull in this instance. I'm thinking that filling at least the front of the sponsons with low-expansion foam, then putting some styrofoam blocks or pool noodle between the batteries and the foam will strengthen the hull and reduce the tendency to split and protect the batteries, too.
I did some searching on the forum and got the impression that the majority of folks prefer NOT to use expanding foam, opting for just pool noodles instead. I know that avoiding impacts is the real cure for our problem, but sometimes we run all afternoon and it seems like no matter how careful we are, there's some kind of collision eventually. (Sometimes I think we might be better off gluing the pool noodles around the perimeter of the hulls, with a double layer across the bow....):olleyes:
I have an aerosol can of the low-expansion foam and I know that once I use some of it, it's toast, so I was going to do both hulls. Does my plan sound OK, or should I just use the noodles and try really, really hard to be more careful (and hope my buddies are, too)?
Take it easy,
desmobob