Swing Wing System Structural Repairs

[jfheneghan]

Does anyone have experience of repairing damage to the swing wing system caused by incorrectly storing the boat when folded? I've looked at a DF1000 currently for sale in Plymouth with damage to the area where the wing arms fold into the main hull area.

[Pete]

With fiberglass there are few things that cannot be repaired and my initial thought is a DF 1000 would certainly be worth restoring if the damage is limited to that which you describe. The question is cost; does the purchase price plus the repair costs exceed what it cost to purchase another Dragonfly in better shape? Has the boat been surveyed to give an unbiased assessment? Has there been an estimate to have the repairs done locally? Have you reached out to Quorning Boats about what would be involved? Once you have that kind of information you can make sound decisions.

If you can do the work yourself, compare your time to professional repairs. The DF 1000 is a powerful boat and the swing arms are among the most complicated and critical components involved in keeping everything together. Once a system like that is possibly deformed / broken, taken apart and worked on, there is a notable challenge of correctly assembling and adjusting the parts. The geometry appears straight forward but is quite complex as complete dynamic system, especially when loads are applied. So consider the work involved beyond making the fiberglass “right”. A project like this is easier for some than others, decide where you fit. If you want the boat, another discussion needs to start locally with people who have knowledge and experience working on things like this (or getting it back to Denmark). What these repairs require is a “hands on” experience, not something that can be explained in text.

p.s. I have some experience repairing the swing arms on my 1990 DF 25, they were not working correctly, I fixed them once with new water stays. I underestimated the flex involved and ended up making more repairs as the now tight hinges would not "give" to an improperly tuned water stay. When she came back together...the sailing is gloriously fun!

Best of luck, Pete

[moilanen.a]

If this is the same boat and damage is what is seen here:
https://images.boats.com/resize/1/38/47 ... =900&h=900

That should be really easy to fix. There is nothing hidden magic with this swing wing system.

But when you laminate the inside of the "beam strut" make sure you don't make it thicker than original. Otherwise you might be in trouble with the stainless steel hinge as it wont fit inside anymore. Dont ask me how i know this

..and for Pete, Its simply waste of time and money to ask anything from Quorning boats specially if you ask something technical.