I wonder if anyone has any ideas regarding the following problem:
I sail a Prindle 18-2. In each hull there are these thin pipes that horizontaly go through from left to right. Through these pipes run the elastic ropes (blocked with a knot on the internal side of the opening)that hold the trapeze wire with the dogbone steady (sorry, but I don't know if the pipes have a specific name). My problem is that these pipes have some holes and thus the hull(s) take in water (especially in heavy weather and when capsized). Unfortunately it looks very difficult and "dangerous" to try and force them out to fix them...and it is impossible to reach them from inside the hull! One way of solving the problem would be sealing off the pipe as a whole and tying the elastic ropes somewhere else...Any less "radical" ideas?

Just a thought:

Take some bungee that is slightly oversized for it. Wax it pretty well by taking parafin and rubbing it generously on the bungee. Tie a string to the bungee so you can pull it through the hole. This will require the bungee to be stretched so you will have to get a good connection to a strong string.

Pull the bungee tight while it is through the hole and re-wax, just to make sure.

roll resin wetted fiberglass probably, only need a couple veil (light woven glass) layers, around the bungee while tight and tie some thread around one end so it will not slip.

Pull the pre-stretched bungee through the hole lining up the resin wetted fiberglass from side to side then release the tension on the bungee. the bungee will then push the fiberglass to the walls of the tube and seal it. When cured pull one end of the bungee and it will all come out leaving a hole to run the new bungee for trap.

I am just thinking out loud. If any of this sounds good and you can modify the application to suit you then I have done my job.

Another idea. Make a paste of resin with microballons or cabosil get an aluminum tube from the hardware store that just fits in the existing hole. Solder or plug somhow, one end of the new tube closed. Fill the tubing on the boat with the paste buy using something like a cake icing cone. Then shove the new tube in closed end first through the boat hole and sticking out the other side. When cured cut off the plugged side and rerun the trap bungee.

Later,
Dan

Thank you Dan for sharing your "flashes". I had thought about your second idea, but I think the pipes are too thin to take a new pipe with a smaller diameter...the trapeze bungies probably won't fit anymore. As for your first idea, I shall see this weekend if it is feasable...Thanks again for your time, Alberto.

I realize this is a much older post, but am posting anyway in case a new user has a similar problem.

The aluminum tubes in question are much bigger than the opening for the shock cord. I haven't measured them but I would say they're around 1/2 - 3/4 inch diameter. The end caps are simply plugs with a hole in them (around 1/4 inch diamter) for the shock cord. Because of this, unless you remove the end caps and use a much thicker bungee, the first method probably won't work (even though it is a brilliant thought process).

On the brighter side though, there is room to insert a slightly narrower tube, provided you can find narrower end caps to fit them. So the second method should work.

Dave H.
Prindle 18-2