Repair it.

I had the exact same damage on my nacra 5.2 this spring. I had a hole and a crushed area 3 feet long by 8 inches wide - so almost anything is fixable.

I got my materials from fiberglass supply inc.
6oz. boat cloth
system 3 resin + hardener
microfiber filler (for bedding)
microlite filler (for fairing)

The most usefull tools were a disk grinder with cutoff wheel (harbour freight has these) and a random orbit sander.

I did not cut any inspection ports.

1) cut out the entire damaged area

2) measure damaged area on good hull using db case and seam as reference datums

3) mark damaged area on good hull

4) mask good hull using clear polyethylene tarp

5) use good hull to mold plug from epoxy and 2 laminations of 6oz. The plug should overlap the damaged area by 3 inches in all directions.

6)drill holes along the edges of the plug so you can use string to hold it in place inside the damaged hull

7) Mix up epoxy and microfiber filler to the consistancy to peanut butter and bed the plug in place inside the damaged hull

8)Use the grinder with a abrasive disk to cut a bevel about 3 inches wide down to the plug. The bevel should be strait and smooth

9)measure and cut 2 strips of 6oz cloth to lay on the keel line. One strip should be 6 inches wide and the other should be 4 inches wide. The wider one needs to overlap the narrow one in all dimensions by 1 inch. The wide one also needs to be 2 inches smaller than the length of the hole at both ends. Laminate these strips in place and let them cure.

10) Cut 2 more laminations of 6oz cloth that go 1.5 inches and .75 inches from the edges of the bevel you cut (big piece goes on top) and laminate these in place.

11) fill and fair the area using microlite filler (West-410 I think). You have to use lots of the filler powder and spread it quickly.

12) I used an 8 foot aluminum channel as a fairing batten and a random orbit sander to do most of the fairing. Then I used a 1 foot long board. For final fairing I used sandable automotive spray primer.

13) Spray the nice smooth repair with 2 coats of rustolium paint and wet sand it with 600.

It took me about a month and a half of evenings to do the repair, but I did not work every evening or on the weekends. It cost about $350 in materials all together, but I have some left over.

The end result: it is very hard to tell which hull has been repaired. I do not leave the boat on the trailer anymore.

It is not too difficult a repair- definitely worth while.

Good luck!
Colin Pitts