Damaged Gunnel

[weephee]

The previous owner of my sailboat installed a refrigerator. In order for it to fit, part of the lower gunnel (if that is what it is called) was removed. I've taken out the refrigerator and now want to repair the gunnel. Question is should I just make a mold and pour in epoxy mixed with fiberglass strand or should I try and scarf in a piece of hardwood (oak) and pour epoxy around it for strength and contact with the existing piece or does someone have a better idea. This gunnel is at the water line. Please see attached pictures. Thanks

[Suijin]

That's not a gunwale, it's a bilge stringer. You could reconstruct it but in truth it's not playing a vital structural purpose other than supporting cabinetry and/or providing some stiffness. I'm fairly certain you could live with it as is without consequence. You would, however, want to seal it up to protect the wood from absorbing water. A couple of coats of neat epoxy would do it.

To repair it I would just make a dam with pieces of thin plastic wrapped lathe strips taped into a place and fill it with 404 thickened epoxy.

[Terra Nova]

To repair it, fit a similar piece of the same type of wood, epoxied in place, and re-glass using bi-axial cloth and epoxy, overlapping the ends of the repaired wood by several inches.

[roverhi]

The strength for the stringer comes from woven roving laminate. Fix as Terra Nova said. The wood graft doesn't need to be furniture quality, it's mostly a form for the glass. Use Mahogany or even fir, not oak. Oak is too hard, difficult to work, and not all that rot resistant though that doesn't seem to be a problem here.

[weephee]

Thanks for the replies. Not sure what the bilge stringer is made from but it is a soft wood of some kind, perhaps pine. I'm going to epoxy a wooden piece in and screw it into place and then cloth over it.