Photo diary: Catamaran Osmosis Restoration Project
This boat looks fantastic now but 200 litres of trapped water was removed from Emotion 2 during a five month long osmosis restoration project. The team tell the story:
We were approached by a client experiencing significant issues with their catamaran, which was located in Whangārei. After travelling north to inspect the vessel and assess the required repairs, it became clear that the scope of work would be extensive. We decided the best course of action was to transport the boat back to Auckland, where we could complete the project under controlled conditions.
Emotion2 was too big to haul at Gulf Harbour Marina. Instead, the boat was successfully hauled out at Poplar Road.
Once the boat was set up, we erected a full protective enclosure and began planing back the hulls to assess the condition of the laminate.
Then sanding commenced. Sections of foam were replaced.
Every time we opened up sections of the hulls, large amounts of water poured from the laminate, transoms, rudders, and keels.
As you can see in thse photos, previous attempts at osmosis repair had not been completed correctly.
The extent of the water damage meant we had to remove a substantial amount of compromised fibreglass from both hulls. To restore the structural integrity of the boat, we laminated five new layers of fibreglass over the repaired areas before applying our specialised coating system.
The hulls were then carefully faired, spot-filled, undercoated, and prepared for antifouling.
One of the biggest challenges was ensuring the vessel was completely dry before rebuilding. To achieve this, we installed multiple drainage pumps to continuously remove trapped moisture and utilised our specialised hot vacuum blanket drying system. This drying process was essential and significantly extended the project timeline.
The restoration took just over five months to complete, but the additional time ensured the repairs were carried out properly and would provide a long-lasting result. The client was extremely pleased with the finished project. Not only did the catamaran leave with structurally sound, fully restored hulls, but the removal of more than 200 litres of trapped water also resulted in a noticeably lighter vessel when it was relaunched, improving both performance and efficiency.
Our Osmosis Repair service includes a seven year transferable warranty. Learn more about our six step process.
Photos / Brin Wilson Boatbuilders