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Doug91mac26s wrote:.......But I don't know if you can make new v-bunks with your boat on the trailer. It looks like those bunks you have are too high, the keel of the boat is too high, they might need to be removed to get them out of the way. Hard to say. If you can find a way to make the new v-bunks with the boat on the trailer, it would be easier.

Doug it looks like the boat might be a couple inches higher than it needs to be, but still has about the right clearance at the fender tops. I think the thing he has going for him is that the current bunks are so high and pretty much out of the way of where the bunks need to be.

If I was doing it I put the very back bunk in first and maybe just tack it in if I was welding the supports or if he used your approach it could be lowered latter. That would then steady the boat and keep it from tipping. Then with the back supported you could jack the boat up slightly towards the bow and support the keel up where you mentioned right in front of the centerboard opening.

Now cut the old bunks out. If you wanted the boat a little lower then lower it at the front some and put the front bunk in. Now the boat is supported from tipping there and you could jack the rear.....



....and lower the very rear bunk if you wanted.

Next put in any intermediary bunks you want and if needed change the front one.

I could do it cheaper material wise welding stuff in, but for someone that doesn't have the resources your bunk setup would be much easier and more flexible changing if needed.

I don't see it as a big job at all for him to do it in his pole barn with a nice floor (at least I think he said there was a concrete floor). If he needed to add a cross-member for a bunk in a different location from where the current cross-members are it would be easy to run it by a welding shop and have them put one in and then he could finish the bunk itself at home.

c ya,

Sum

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I finally found a sailboat company an hour away that has looked at the damage and given an acceptable answer. They are willing to fix the boat for 'time and material' and estimates the job to be $700-1,000 which they indicated would probably involve working on it from the inside as well. Prior to taking it to this location, I discovered that a previous owner had already tried to make some type of repair to the same damaged side by using a type of spray foam and 1x4 that was visible from inside the cabin (sorry no pics). From what I can tell, there were already previous issues with the hull during its former life and the incorrect trailer set up aggravated it to the point of cracking the glass.

There is also a local trailer shop near to the shop where the boat will be repaired. While the boat is on the slings being repaired (won't start til after Memorial Day), the trailer will be taken to the shop and reconfigured, using Doug's 'v-bunk' design.

So, thanks to one and all for your input. The boat will hopefully be finished by June 7. I opted to have it repaired and the trailer reconfigured by a shop primarily due to a lack of time on my part, as I'm swamped with rental property issues that I'm trying to deal with so as to create some sailing time this summer.

While the boat is in the shop, I now have another (non-hull) question about the motor. Being new to the forum, I"m assuming that I'm supposed to post the new question separately, so I'll do so under the title of: SALT WATER CORROSION - HELP! (in Performance & Tuning). Thanks again for your help.

Ahhh! That estimate sounds much more reasonable. You'll be sailing her before you know it. Please make sure to post pics after all is fixed, I can't wait to see the final outcome.

Doug91mac26s » Wed May 12, 2010 7:37 pm

Ahhh! That estimate sounds much more reasonable. You'll be sailing her before you know it. Please make sure to post pics after all is fixed, I can't wait to see the final outcome.

Thanks for your help. Your pics were invaluable and the forum's input saved me alot of aggravation and money!

Cool beans Corsair. That sounds like a good choice.