S2 7.9 Meter Class Association

I after a long delay finally got my 7.9 in the water this weekend. I was motoring around to get to the slip and since it was only to have a place to spend a few nights on the water while working on the boat I did not put the keel down. As many of you may have guessed the boat lacks control even under power without a keel. Spinning out of control and sliding sideways around the marina, I put a hole in the side of the hull about the size of a 50 cent piece about 18 inches above the waterline. It punctured the outer surface and crunched some layers beneath but no sign of damage from inside although the carpet hides such damage.

Do I need to grind back the damaged area to an 8:1 ratio bevel and replace the core or can I just use a thickened West Systems and glass layers to repair this hole?

You should replace the core. Remove everything that is wet or even damp. If not it'll freeze/thaw and blow your repair out. Not difficult to do. Also, if the day comes when you want to sell a surveyors moisture meter will go off potentially discouraging a prospective buyer. Good luck.

I have an alternative material to balsa for a core material, I can place in there.

If the core and surrounding area around it is dry though wouldn't a proper epoxy layup also seal up the area and not pose a moisture or leakage danger?

Of course it would. Key is to be rid of anything that is wet, moist or damp. Sounds like you'll be fine.