crack in top deck

[geoffo]

Just in front of the rear beam I have a long crack running just alongside where the upper and lower hulls are joined. The joint is secure, bur right where the hull starts to bend upward there is a crack qhich goes all the way through the hull. I dont want to open up the hull to get inside. Any suggestions to fixing from the outside.

[darcy1945]

Before you fix the crack you have to fix the problem. When the dolphin striker stretches, the front beam tends to flatten and the hulls tend to roll, generally this causes 1 or more of 3 things to happen, 1 the rear beam cracks at the inboard bolt hole, (either side), 2, the hull cracks at the inside under the rear beam, or, 3, the hull cracks at the outside under the front beam. Mk 1s usually break the rear beam, Mk 2s generally crack the hull. This will happen sooner or later to every Mari if the dolphin striker tension is not maintained. When setting up a Mari I bolt the front beam in first then adjust the dolphin striker untill the rear beam sits flush in position then bolt it down tight. The other method is bolt in front beam, tighten both rear bolts in 1 hull the adjust striker untill gap between inside of other hull and underside of rear beam is nil.

[knobblyoldjimbo]

since Darc hasn't told you how to fix it - what I'd do is get some fibreglass tape (or even carbon (hehe)) and mix up some epoxy. Get some plastic and wet the tape with the epoxy. Slap the result onto the crack.

You could also grind the area around the crack so that the epoxy gets a nice mechanical bond.

There is probably a better and more technical approach but for me it's function over form!!

KO