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Tim Tim is offline
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,111
Default checking the hull's integrity...

On Mar 22, 9:09*pm, Tim wrote:
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!


Here was someone working on a 23' Uniflite, and you see the nicks in
the bow. Well, mine aren't as drastic as that big one, but I've got
some of them and this is the type of damage I'll be working on. when
the weather gets a bit sunny and warmer outside.

http://www.wcc.net/~jkmccoy/misst/fbrglss.htm