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Frogwatch Frogwatch is offline
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,163
Default checking the hull's integrity...

On Mar 22, 6:26*pm, I am Tosk wrote:
In article 3bdac6d6-268e-4b97-b87d-
, says...





OK, in my never ending quest for info, I thought I'd look at my big
boat's hull. *i haven't' found any blisters, but the hull has had
something repaired on it in times past like to cover a gouge, or *hard
nick's Nothing big, but some type of a tanish-colored *'epoxy repair'
which has been applied to a couple spots on the port side, which are
no bigger than anywhere from the size of your thumb print to no larger
than a "Kennedy half".


I've tapped around on the hull from about bow to stern and all sounds
solid with no dead thuds and nothing spongy. So I feel the integrity
of the fiberglass is in good shape.


I looked down the keel of the hull from the bow, and there have been
several nicks that though seem to be on the surface, I feel they need
to have some attention payed to them . I didn't see any sign of
fiberglass core showing through, however there were some nicks that
have gone deep enough to look like they've gone through the gell coat,
to the green underlying fiberglass resin.


I don't think that the boat has been abused, but sometimes hitting a
good stick can cause such nicks, but this looks like it's tapped
against some hard heavy rocks like what you might find lining a dock
runway.


I don't think that water has infiltrated the fiberglass or at least
nothing to cause blistering, but I am concerned a bit about it, that
it needs some repair.


One guy who likes to think with his mouth and not his mind looked at
the nicks and suggested that I dab some fingernail polish on it.


*For pete's sake


I know there's lots of fiberglass repair products out there but seeing
I don't know much about it, I'd like somebody to recommend to me the
choicest products and repair procedures. I don't know much about it,
but am willing to try.


Thanks!


From what I understand the boat should probably have been laminated up
with polyester resin. If indeed that is the case you can use either
polyester or Epoxy. I can pretty much walk you through most cosmetic
repairs on the phone if you want once you have established the hull
material.

Scotty

--
For a great time, go here first...http://tinyurl.com/ygqxs5v


Buy a quart of West or System 3 epoxy with the little hand pumps.
Also get the micro-balloons to thicken it. Smear it into the gouges,
allow to harden three days, sand till smooth. Coat with System 3
WR155 white primer.
Ignore any blisters, they are only cosmetic 99% of the time and
"fixing" them just makes things worse.