delta v6 fins

[piebald1962]

I have just got a delta v6 to re,store. It has 3 stainless steel fins in the hull . They are 2 to 3 mm in thickness and seem to be very flimsy ( i would say they don,t seem up to the job). Could any one tell me if theser are the correct thickness as i have seen the ones on albatross,s and they are a lot thicker. I also need a screen for the boat or a pattern. If anyone has a v6 in the lowestoft area i would love to come and have a look at it for some pointers. I have taken all the foam out from each side of the engine beds and the fore end. Do you recommend that i put the expanding foam back in the apropiate areas. Many thanks Stephen

[rnb]

Hello , Normally there is only one skeg, positioned on the hull adjacent the cockpit "well" between the seats .

I must quantify "normal" , every delta i have ever looked at has had detail differences to the next , either Ray Wright altered specs during manufacture or the boat has been modified since it left the factory . Please lets have a discussion about this delta owners

My boat was very original and has one zinc plated steel skeg about 3-4mm thick , its not a V6 . One of the purposes of the skeg in this position is to stop a larger skier from having an adverse effect on the steering of the boat , you certainly should not have a skeg that is flexing.

I also had a problem with the buoyancy compartments either side of the motor , i discovered the tops were rotten and the foam completely sodden . I cut off the tops and glassed new ply in , i decided against any new foam ,dont believe the original stuff was closed cell as they resembled a sponge . This was quite a job that i dont ever want to repeat The post that the steering cable anchors to gets in the way and you also have to fit the ply in sections as obviously it does not fit through the engine hatch in one piece. I have some pictures somewhere. I think the pros and cons of foam has been discussed on here before . You might want to do a bit of research on the net before making a decision.

I have seen deltas where the tops of the compartments have been butchered so as to locate the battery more securely, thus destroying the buoyancy compartment.

regards

[Alacrity]

Foam has always been a bone of contention. The foam used was not of the 'closed cell' type (like polystyrene which also isn't) so it will provide excellent buoyancy in the short term but over a longer period, if laying wet, it will absorb water & it then becomes a nightmare & your boat doubles in weight. There is a foam that is closed cell that can safely be used, for the life of me I cannot remember what it is called, I know Puddleduck on this forum knows so he he doesn't chime in send him a PM (personal message) should you want to foam the compartments. se7en on here may also know its name. I think most people just leave a sealed void where the foam used to be. To be fair to the boat builders, I don't suppose they expected the boats to be around for long enough for the foam to be a problem - even if they were aware of it at all back then.