Splashwell delete
Posted: Jan 28, 2014 4:10 pm
It pained me to cut the splashwell out of a virgin Virage but knowing that hanging a 280 hp Merc on the back would most certainly crack the inside corners.
Putting a flat deck where the splashwell was originally is the most popular way to go, however, once I spotted Aaron Walcholz's Virage, I really liked his splashwell delete design. I will be running a 15" motor and it will work with the full height transom but the 2" drop will ease the rigging hoses when the motor is fully tilted.
This is Aarons Virage
This is what I started with
I replaced the transom wood and beveled the top edge 45* so I could get fiberglass as far back into the joint as possible. This will reduce any possibilities of future cracking on the outer edge seam.
I used two layers of 1 1/16" marine grade plywood.
I made my mold from 3/4" partical board. I made a rotisserie so I didn't have to work upside down.
I beveled back the cut edge of fiberglass for a smooth transition and minimal air bubbles. I used powered sheetrock rock (hot mud) to round and smooth out the mold. A hot glue gun filled the air gaps in the very back.
I put on two coats of floor paste wax as a release agent being very careful not to get any on the existing fiberglass that I want to bond to.
I brushed on two coats of gelcoat.
I put down a couple layers of mat and let dry. This stabilizes the mold and holds the gelcoat in the corners.
After that dried, I added another mat, a woven roving, and another mat. I used scrap mat pieces to build up the drop off area between the old and new fiberglass. Once that dried, I trowled on core bond putty and bedded in foam and balsa core (which I primed with resin before installing)
Over the core, I put down a mat and two layers of stitchmat.
That's all I had time to get done while at our property for the week. I'm only allowed so much time to play with the boat
Next visit I will grind the edge and glass the rest of the transom.
Putting a flat deck where the splashwell was originally is the most popular way to go, however, once I spotted Aaron Walcholz's Virage, I really liked his splashwell delete design. I will be running a 15" motor and it will work with the full height transom but the 2" drop will ease the rigging hoses when the motor is fully tilted.
This is Aarons Virage
This is what I started with
I replaced the transom wood and beveled the top edge 45* so I could get fiberglass as far back into the joint as possible. This will reduce any possibilities of future cracking on the outer edge seam.
I used two layers of 1 1/16" marine grade plywood.
I made my mold from 3/4" partical board. I made a rotisserie so I didn't have to work upside down.
I beveled back the cut edge of fiberglass for a smooth transition and minimal air bubbles. I used powered sheetrock rock (hot mud) to round and smooth out the mold. A hot glue gun filled the air gaps in the very back.
I put on two coats of floor paste wax as a release agent being very careful not to get any on the existing fiberglass that I want to bond to.
I brushed on two coats of gelcoat.
I put down a couple layers of mat and let dry. This stabilizes the mold and holds the gelcoat in the corners.
After that dried, I added another mat, a woven roving, and another mat. I used scrap mat pieces to build up the drop off area between the old and new fiberglass. Once that dried, I trowled on core bond putty and bedded in foam and balsa core (which I primed with resin before installing)
Over the core, I put down a mat and two layers of stitchmat.
That's all I had time to get done while at our property for the week. I'm only allowed so much time to play with the boat
Next visit I will grind the edge and glass the rest of the transom.
