Heron centerboard case leak

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jules22
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Heron centerboard case leak

Post by jules22 »

I have started work on the 1952 heron ( sail number 17) , easy jobs and a repaint/varnish mostly, but.........

I took it to the club and floated it for the first time today, as I had been told to expect a leak round the CB case and wanted to check this out before doing to much work.

I got 1/2" of water in the bottom in 10 mins so action is needed, but what is the best plan of attack ?.

Do I need to try and get the whole lot out ? and repair, or can I leave in place and dribble epoxy round the hull/case join ?.

All advice gratefully received. Cheers. Jules. :)

PS. If anyone has any surplus buoyancy bags to fit please get in touch.
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PeterV
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Re: Heron centerboard case leak

Post by PeterV »

My experience is that there's only one way to do it and that's to take the case out. If you try sealing by dribbling epoxy in you might find, as I did, that the water continues to get in to the wood of the case and the hog and rots these out. If you take the case out and seal between the case and the hog properly this will not happen. Getting the case out isn't very difficult if it's screwed in from above. It's more difficult if it's screwed from underneath then covered with the keel but I think it's more common to screw from above through the side rails on the case.
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sam mason
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Re: Heron centerboard case leak

Post by sam mason »

Peter V is absolutely right the whole issue has to come out and its not much of a job. A boat of that vintage will almost certainly be screwed down from the top the only blot on the horizon is screw degradation and that has been covered extensively in this forum before,
Any idea what size the buoyancy bags are? there are a couple laying about here but I suspect they may be to big
Sam
roger
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Re: Heron centerboard case leak

Post by roger »

I agree with all the above. I tried to do the short cut of dribbling warm epoxy in and as Peter says it just traps water in and continues to rot.
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jules22
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Re: Heron centerboard case leak

Post by jules22 »

Thanks, I shall attempt to remove it complete.

What should I stick it back down with, thickened epoxy or silkaflex ?
sam mason
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Re: Heron centerboard case leak

Post by sam mason »

I would use thickened epoxy every time. It might be worth splitting the centreboard case and regluing that as well to make a proper job of it. Make sure it is square to the hog when you put it back in.
Sam
jules22
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Re: Heron centerboard case leak

Post by jules22 »

Thanks , thats really helpful advice :D . This is the next job to tackle.

I am working on the rudder at present, made a brass bush and epoxied it into the rudder where the big elongated hole was in the wood. :cry:

Have Roughly Cut out and planed up a new oak tiller extension today, hope to get that finished over the weekend.

My overall aim is to get her back to a sound/ leakfree sailable condition this year, while trying to retain all the original patina and charm that has taken 63 years to build up. 8)

REF: buoyancy bags. I am missing the bow and stern bags !, side bags are there but seen better days but I think repairable for time being. So if anyone has any spare bags that might do a turn I would love to hear from you.

Cheers. Jules
SoggyBadger
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Re: Heron centerboard case leak

Post by SoggyBadger »

When it comes to buoyancy bags it's best not to scrimp. You'll need a Crewsaver standard front bag for under the foredeck. Overall you'll want a minimum of 500lbs of buoyancy. 600lbs would be better though.
Best wishes


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jules22
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Re: Heron centerboard case leak

Post by jules22 »

I have been considering fitting a bulkhead at the front with big hatches in ,so it could double as storage BUT the purist in me says its just wrong on a 1952 ! . The jury is still out on this.

I have also thought of building a ply buoyancy/storage, tank/box that would replace the rear bag that fits across the transom. This would be a non permanent tank fixed in with screws, Any thoughts on whether this would work ?

Cheers. J
sam mason
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Re: Heron centerboard case leak

Post by sam mason »

I have heard of stranger ideas but not often. On the face of it I cant see why it wouldn't work although what the insurance person would say in the event of a disaster is anybody's guess.
Our first Albacore was somewhat lacking in the buoyancy department ( it hadn't got any at all!) and as a quick fix we used a few flexible plastic wine brewing barrel things and thought it best not to capsize.
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jules22
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Re: Heron centerboard case leak

Post by jules22 »

My reasoning being that: I need buoyancy but also dry storage when we go on overnight camping trips. I had considered those plastic screw top barrels lashed under the side benches also.

What I would prefer not to do is alter the boat to much, as its an early one and very original, so would like to make non permanent "improvements" to suit what we want to use it for. (cruising)
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trebor
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Re: Heron centerboard case leak

Post by trebor »

Have you thought about roll top dry bags?
These would provide dry storage and buoyancy, strap them like buoyancy bags, though obviously not to replace existing bags.
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SoggyBadger
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Re: Heron centerboard case leak

Post by SoggyBadger »

jules22 wrote:I have been considering fitting a bulkhead at the front with big hatches in ,so it could double as storage BUT the purist in me says its just wrong on a 1952 ! . The jury is still out on this.
I've read of a number of these conversions. None were particularly satisfactory in the end. Always leaked.
jules22 wrote:I have also thought of building a ply buoyancy/storage, tank/box that would replace the rear bag that fits across the transom. This would be a non permanent tank fixed in with screws, Any thoughts on whether this would work ?

Cheers. J
That could work well assuming you can work out a shape that avoids the transom knee.
Best wishes


SB
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