Thanks for the advise. I do not have a digital camera. I still use 35 mm film (old school). The former owners failed to tell me about the crack and some other defects. I discovered the crack only after I thoroughly cleaned and polished the hulls. I plan to sail the SC-17 for the first this weekend.
The crack width is very small. It looks like one of the spider cracks (jagged line) off the main crack in Jake's picture. It is slightly raised compared to the rest of hull and when I push on it with my thumb, it compresses more easily than the rest of the hull. If the crack were not a darker color and slightly raised, it would not be noticed.
Based on that information, do you still recommend to be aggressive or should I watch and wait to see if the crack enlarges with use?
The procedure: Sand the hull down to the fiberglass; pierce the hull in a slotted fashion following the small crack; clean and dry the sanded area and the inside of the hull adjacent to the slot; apply West system epoxy and fiberglass to the balsa wood and insert it into the slot held tightly by a string (fishing line?) or two; after curing, fill the slot with an epoxy fiberglass mix; put additional layers of fiberglass and epoxy on the outside; sand and paint.
What tools (e.g. drill, jig saw, hand saw, router or Dremel tool) are used to pierce or cut the hull in a slotted shape? What thickness of balsa wood is recommended to apply to a slightly rounded area in the hull? Where is balsa wood sold (e.g. hobby shop)? What size (e.g. length and width) slot should be cut to repair a two inch long crack?
