Hi

We sail off a beach and have a number of obstacles to overcome on the way off and back onto the beach. We sail a wooden tales design and would be heartbroken to have to lose her as she is wonderfully quick and well behaved!

I was recently sailing and the wind blew up and conditions worsened whislt we were out. As we came we came onto beach i hit some rocks and the resulting damage is the plank closest to the keel appears to have given way and pushed into the boat. 

This has happened across the auto bailer, slightly in front of the thwart, i guess the weakest point there. The damage appears to be around six inches along the length of this plank and across the full width. I am guess as the boat came down onto the rock the weight of boat and crew isolated on this singly point was too much for the ply there.

How would the best way to repair this be and does anyone have any usefull suggestions on how to deal with this. Thankfully most of the season is over and my husband and i have access to a reasonably comfortable workshop over the winter. My husband has some carpentry skill although assures me this is fairly rudimentry.

Any suggestions or advice would be most gratefully received.

Where do you sail if on south coast , Lawrie Smart at haywards Heath is excellent

Helen - Don't panic your husband is right this sort of damage is not terminal. You can cut bits out of wooden boats and stick new bits in without too much difficulty, particularly with modern epoxy glues.  Where you can get to both sides of the damage- ie not having to work through a small hatch cover life is much easier. If the plank is only fractured you may be able to soak it all in epoxy and push it back in to place without resorting to cutting it out and replacing, re-fairing the outside with an epoxy/micro balloon mix. A light weight woven glass patch on the inside is also a possibility. I guess the area you are talking about is fairly flat, so if a replacement piece has to be scarfed in the join won't be under a lot of tension.

If any of the timber is still damp, soak it in acetone before you try to glue as this will drive the moisture out and warm the timber gently with a hair dryer before you glue as this will draw the glue in to any cracks.

Email me via the forum if you get stuck.

Morning Helen

get the boat indoors, turn it over and work for the outside. see if you can buy some veneer online or layup some E glass/epoxy (stronger) on a sheet or over the plank just in front or behind the damage (acts as a mould to get any curviture, need to cover in plastic) Route out about 2 - 3 mm (thickness of the sheet and paint plus about 0.5 mm) over and beyond the damaged area. Then, cut the laminate to shape. To clean the inner damaged area push into the cockpit the remainder with a soft pad to avoid point loading/further damage and remove any moisture/salt with acetone. Leave to dry for a couple of days. Then repeat the process and run epoxy/fibres into any cracks and use a bit of ply etc or more of the moulded glass covered in parcel tape to take the original shape prior to the damage. Once this has gone off, check the outside of the ply is still fair, mask up around the area with parcel tape and polythene, then set in the glass and glue with epoxy resin/fibres and epoxy resin/glynol silica around the edges. Fair back once dry, (wipe with acetone at all stages to remove greasing after keying) and paint. Inside clean back, prime, couple of coats, regrip and final coat. probably cost you about £20 if you have the resin and whatever paint and varnish you may have to buy. Should be about 6 - 8 hours work if all localised. 

Have fun.

Forgot to mention that when routing, make sure the plank is held from the inside by a pad to take the original form or when youcome to fit the replacement part, the area may not be even

I did both sides, on 1074,also around the self balers last year as per the other's instructions. 
Not difficult, just time consuming. I still have lots of veneers left over so you can have them for free if you let me know where to send them. 
[I also found it easier to work on with the boat on it's edge, i.e. at 90degrees to floor, achieved through hoisting up to the rafters.]