Cat Damaged in Fire
Posted: Nov 13, 2009
While stored on land at another facility, this catamaran suffered serious damage with the adjacent boat caught fire. Although the catamaran did not catch fire, the intense heat damaged the laminate and distorted the hull shape. The hull and deck were surveyed and all damaged areas identified and mapped out.
We removed all gelcoat from the damaged areas, and where the laminate was found to be damaged it was removed as well. The gelcoat removal enabled us to assess the damage more accurately.
The hull curvature changed due to the heat. We made templates from the opposite side and created a jig to pull the hull back to shape. We then laminated closed cell foam core to the interior to stiffen the hull and hold the shape. The jig was then removed and core bonded in those areas. The entire surface was laminated with biaxial fiberglass.
After laminating the exterior where needed, the surfaces were faired. New gelcoat was then sprayed, sanded, and buffed.
After completing the gelcoat work, we masked the white areas so that we could paint the blue accent colors.
We reinstalled the hardware, painted the bottom, and re-stepped the mast. Floating again, this boat was fully restored and headed south for extended cruising.
Category: Current Repair Projects
« View all news.