Hi Howard,
Thank you!
I just got a call from William at Nash Boat Works. (That is service! I sent him an email last night asking what he recommended. Instead of email, he called, thinking it would be easier.) He recommended filing down the rear flange/notch until both the fore and aft ends of the skeg box are proud by the same amount. He also suggested what you said earlier about installing the skeg fin just to make sure there is enough room for the fin to fully retract and not be proud or hang down.
Again, thank you for your guidance!
Mike
Hi Howard,
What do you use to seal the hole where the skeg tubing goes through the aft bulkhead? I am wondering if the epoxy will stick to the plastic tubing?
Thanks!
Mike
Hi Mike,
sounds like it is coming along.
for the step you are talking about, i would not use epoxy buy waterproof silicone....which will adhere to the plastic, waterproof the hole but cure bit rubbery so that if you ever have to re-rig it, you can avoid the need for a saw.
below is a sample of what clc sells (and a good description of use cases).....you can pick up similar stuff at a big box store for this use.
https://www.clcboats.com/shop/products/boat-building-supplies-epoxy-fiberglass-plywood/boat-fasteners-hardware/3m-marine-grade-clear-silicone-sealant.html
do make sure to paint the hole in the bulkhead you made for the tube with epoxy to seal the exposed wood....and let that cure. but then after you thread the tube through the bulkhead, put a ring of 5200 around it to ensure the watertight integrity of the bulkhead.
this material (5200 or equivelent) is also important for bedding any screws into the hull or waterproofing holes like those sometimes made for footbraces which bolt through the hull.
hope this was helpful.
h
this is a option too:
https://www.clcboats.com/shop/products/boat-building-supplies-epoxy-fiberglass-plywood/boat-fasteners-hardware/3m-5200-fast-cure-marine-adhesive-sealant.html
you typically won't need a lot of this stuff....so i just try to find the smallest and cheapest quantum i can get. once opened, it generally does not last more than a season even when you think you have sealed it well.
h
Hi Howard,
Thank you! You make a great point about maintenance should it be needed down the road. I would rather deal with silicon than cutting out the wood/epoxy!
Mike
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Howard, beyond a substantial fillet around the box and perhaps a layer or two of glass over the fillet do you use and additional structure that supports the box from the top of the hull? Such a structure might also help hold the box vertical while the fillets are hardening.
Hi David,
thanks for your question. the short answer is ….it depends.
if i do things right in cutting the slot for the skeg box (box fits into the hull not too tight, but not loose) i find the box easily holds its location while i fillet it or if it moved a little, i can push it to its correct location and it will hold its position.
it i cut the hole too large, i might need to make some temporary apparatus to hold it until the epoxy sets.
i would also say that the fillets i use are just normal size…i would not describe them as ‘substantial’. my standard filllet spreader is a one inch wide popsicle stick rounded on the end… so given the acute angle involved with a skeg in the vertical and an upsloped hull, you will get plenty of material. the main thing i do for additional strength is that layer of glass i will press into the fillet after it has started to harden but before it is fully cured…..which is then followed by painting with a little unthickened epoxy.
i have never had one fail or leak after installing as described in the notes above….
picture below is a skeg box that i glued into my most recent boat to give you a sense of size…and why i say its just a normal fillet. i like to keep my boats light and extra epoxy or overly large fillets typically are just adding weight and not a lot of extra protection.
hope that was helpful.
h
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Thanks. In the past I have added some vertical support permanently to give extra strength in case the skeg gets hit. I will go with just fillets on this build. I will say, however, I am impressed you build your own skeg boxes. I am lazy and just use the KayakSport boxes in my builds. In the past I have used their standard version but this time I am trying their spring loaded version that is controlled using a line of Spectra cord.
Used a small support to hold the skeg perfectly vertical while the fillet hardened.
