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1973 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening (not 71)

Posted by ttwn0324 
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ttwn0324
1973 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening (not 71)
May 24, 2011 09:31PM
Starting to repair damage on a sidewinder I purchased last year. While I am at it I will also stiffen the hull. Just starting the project & will post as it progresses.

[www.sailmfg.com]
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2011 01:55AM by ttwn0324.
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Joe
Re: 1971 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening
May 25, 2011 04:59AM
WOW!! That looks like what I should've done to mine.
I have a question about your vacuum bagging.....
How do you keep it from cooking the bag? Anytime I sealed it with a piece of plastic it would get hot enough to nearly melt the plastic. I mixed it the same as normal using the metering pump system.

Joe
Sidewinder #327
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ttwn0324
Re: 1971 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening
May 25, 2011 04:55PM
The bag is a high tech heat stabilized nylon 6 resin film that can with stand temperatures up to 350 degrees; this is what the sales person told me, you have to love it when they mask their BS in hi-tech jargon. Anyway, it is vacuum bagging film that West System and Airtech sell.
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Joe
Re: 1971 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening
May 26, 2011 01:23AM
I may have to look into that when I decide to flip mine over. I have similar hairline cracks on the underside, but I plan to sail it this summer as is. All last summer was spent rebuilding the floor, so I'm ready.
Is that an AC vacuum pump your using?

Joe
Sidewinder #327
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Paul
Re: 1971 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening
May 26, 2011 01:47AM
It warms my heart to see what you are doing to restore your boat. (Same for you, Joe. Sorry that I never said it).

Paul
Webmaster: sailmfg.com
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ttwn0324
Re: 1971 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening
May 26, 2011 04:26PM
Yes it is. I have also used an air venture pump that I use to pull vacuum in a cars coolant system. It works as long as there are no leaks in the bagging system, which for me there always seems to be. It is just less noise using the electric pump to keep a vacuum when there is a leak. I find myself in kind of a grey area with the whole vacuum bagging thing. You cannot beat the results of using it, but the expense of the materials and the hassles it can give at times have me torn.
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ttwn0324
Re: 1973 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening (not 71)
May 31, 2011 05:43AM
Removed cockpit floor from hull. The fact it is hard mounted in a bed of resin and caused a hard spot along the length of it. Is the main reason it cracked.









Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2011 05:59AM by ttwn0324.
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cas
Re: 1973 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening (not 71)
May 31, 2011 05:58AM
Borken links. First one works but not the others.

Now working.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2011 06:36AM by cas.
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cas
Re: 1973 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening (not 71)
June 01, 2011 03:11AM
Thanks for the update. Hopefully it will inspire me to do the same with my Whip. However, I need to wait for cooler weather and build a temporary shelter first since I don't have a garage or workshop.

cas
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Joe
Re: 1973 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening (not 71)
June 02, 2011 02:51AM
That answers alot of questions I had about my boat last summer. Someone had cut out the floor and discarded it.

Joe
Sidewinder #327
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Scott
Re: 1973 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening (not 71)
June 24, 2011 05:32PM
I too find this interesting as I have also contemplated separating the deck and hull of my Sidewinder. How did you separate the cockpit "tub" from the hull after removing the deck? Do you think that could have been accomplished without cutting it out of the deck first? Please continue with any progress you make with the project. I am curious to know how you intend to re-fasten the hull to deck joint (staples?) and if you were able to salvage the aluminum "rub rail" for use again.
Scott
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ttwn0324
Re: 1973 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening (not 71)
March 16, 2012 03:20PM
As to Scott's questions, I tried everything I could think of to separate the two. Just was not able to get enough room to get in there. Once I had I just used wedges and basically a floor scraper to break the bond. I was able to save the rub rails, they came of very easy. For the hull/deck joint I'm not sure yet on what I'll do there.
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Wlukhaup
Re: 1973 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening (not 71)
June 11, 2013 10:48PM
Just bought a Sidewinder - hull 1373. Took it sailing out & found out there is a leak somewhere. There are some cracks in the hull bottom that may be the cause. Trying to decide which is the best way to reinforce it (ingternal or external)

Did the hull and tub separate on your boat or did you cut out the tub right above floor of the cockpit ?
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ttwn0324
Re: 1973 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening (not 71)
June 11, 2013 11:21PM
I ended up cutting it about three inch above the floor.
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Wlukhaup
Re: 1973 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening (not 71)
June 12, 2013 05:23PM
Thanks. That makes sense.

BTW - how did you reattach the tub?
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ttwn0324
Re: 1973 Sidewinder Repair & Hull Stiffening (not 71)
June 12, 2013 06:19PM
I haven't yet. But, I'll just use fiberglass tape on the both sides to reattach it to the deck. When it comes time to reattach the tub floor to the hull I'll fiberglass in thin sheets of foam to the hull a little beyond where the resin bed was and then use thickened epoxy to attach the floor to it.
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