exhogger Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 I have just taken posession of a Maricat 4.0 sail No 469. It seemed to be in pretty good condition considering its age which I am led to believe is about 25 or so yrs old. Took it out for my first sail on Sunday last and all went very well except that at one stage I knelt with most of my weight in the extreme rear corner of the tramp and heard what I thought was a 'Rip'. It turned out that it wasn't a rip in the tramp but that 5 of the rivets that hold the metal strip which holds the tramp edge in position have either broken or have pulled through. My question is, what would you experienced guys do. What is my next step. How would you tackle further inspection and repair. I hope I have'nt bought a dud. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pointed Reply Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 It may be just the age of the rivets...maybe just fatigue. Drill them all out and replace them. Just normal aluminium will do with a bit of sealant..silastic. If the holes in the boat a bit big, you can fill with some resin and redrill. But try the simple thing first. By re riveting the tramp it will also help leaks. There is no such thing as a dud Maricat....just may need a bit of TLC. Where are you located ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darcy1945 Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Buy a new 3/16" drill bit for the job, rivets need to be 3/16" by 3/4" aluminium only, (S/Steel or Monel will crack the F/glass) You need to do both sides, you can drill new holes between the old and leave the old ones there, if you want to replace the old rivets it takes more effort and care, each mandrel must be punched out of the old rivets before you drill or the drill will run off centre and enlarge the holes, the tramp should be removed before you attempt the repair. My ph 0243591729 for advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exhogger Posted February 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Thankyou both for your prompt reply. I drilled out the rivets that have pulled through and found them to be in good condition, no corrosion. The holes in the fibreglass have cracks radiating out from the holes and some small pieces have broken away. If I filled / coated the cracked holes with resin, redrilled the holes, re rivited those holes then drill and rivet between the old rivets on both sides, 21 per side I think, would that be the way to go ? It is a great feeling for a new guy to have help so quickly. There is a good vibe on this board. Location updated. Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Peter Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 The same thing happened to my Mark II and it has now gone to God! Minus lots of very nice fittings - most of which are now on my old Mark I. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exhogger Posted February 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 I hope the above mentioned repairs will prevent mine from joining yours for a few years yet. Was the rivet problem the reason for its demise or did you attempt to repair yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Peter Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 I hope the above mentioned repairs will prevent mine from joining yours for a few years yet. Was the rivet problem the reason for its demise or did you attempt to repair yours. I already had the Mark I which was in reasonable order so I never attempted the repair on the Mark 2. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiddyCat Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 Buy a new 3/16" drill bit for the job' date=' rivets need to be 3/16" by 3/4" aluminium only, (S/Steel or Monel will crack the F/glass) You need to do both sides, you can drill new holes between the old and leave the old ones there, if you want to replace the old rivets it takes more effort and care, each mandrel must be punched out of the old rivets before you drill or the drill will run off centre and enlarge the holes, the tramp should be removed before you attempt the repair. My ph 0243591729 for advice.[/quote'] 3/16" x 3/4" is is the range of the grip or the rivet pre fitting? ie I can easily buy 3/16" rivets, the sizes they refer to are the depth to which they will hold material together. the rivets which are about 3/4" pre rivetted will hold 3/8" of material (3mm of aluminium strip plus upto 7mm of fibreglass). I can not find anything to hold 3/4" of material, surely the decks are not that thick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darcy1945 Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 If you remove 1 rivet accessible from the storage compartment, you can check the length required for your cat, as the Maris have been made by various builders over the years and are hand laid, thickness/weight varies, rivets 3/4" before riveting are usually long enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exhogger Posted March 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 Made up a paste by mixing talcum powder with araldite and filled the holes where the rivets had pulled out. By making a paste the goo didn't simply run through the hole and into the hull. Left it for 72 hours, redrilled and used 3/4 rivets which were plenty long enough. As the rivets I drilled out were coroded I decided to drill and rivet between all the others along both sides as insurance. Dunked the mast in the lake and found bubbles coming from the top end so took the end casting out, cleaned it and with a coating of Sikaflex refitted it. Do you think a 'fully floating mast' will allow me to safely sail without the satellite dish / solar panel / turtle float on the mast top ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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