erice
Your picture shows the basic weakness of the boat. The builder used chopped strand mat to fabricate the 1/2 tube stringers… and as a portion of the tabbing for the bulkheads installation. These areas should have been glassed with cloth, ideally oriented +45 degrees -45 degrees. Chopped strand mat is cheaper, easier to work with in tight curved areas, builds up stiffness quickly, but is known to facture and delaminate in this type of application… and it holds a considerably greater amount of resin (weight) without a comparable increase in strength when compared to cloth.

So when those that keep harping on the fact that a heavier boat is better (stronger) that definitely is not always the case. Here is a perfect example of the misuse of materials in the design and construction of a catamaran. I fully admit that the boat probably outlasted its designed life as it was built, and it is easy to criticize 1970 boat building techniques with the luxury of 2007 design information. It might make some of those that are contemplating rebuilding an old glass cat…by any manufacture, think twice before diving into such a project.…especially in light of what happened to “airborne”, who obviously invested a great deal of time and money to restore his 5.2 to absolutely gorgeous condition, only to see it self destruct.

Best Regards,
Bob