Book/Giude/Web site on Fiberglass repairs or manitenance?

[6MISFITZ]

So I have my first fiberglass boat, now what?<br /><br />The hull is of 1987 vintage and is in need of some elbow greese and preventitive maintenance.<br />I had some heavy oxidation that I spent a few hours hand rubbing / buffing and then polishing late last season after the purchase. This season I will try my luck at power buffing but I am more concerned with how to repair the lower gelcoat cracks. What methods can or should I use and what fillers and paints can I use? The name epoxy paints has come up but that is the last step. I am curious of the experience of others in this forum and any do's or dont's and the correct procedures to get me to the last step.<br /><br /> Please don't mistake my lack of knowledge or experience on this subject as ignorance. I am just trying to look after my boat and if there are better books or guides, then I will follow it.<br />Thanks, <br />Mike.

 

[suzukidave]

Re: Book/Giude/Web site on Fiberglass repairs or manitenance?

Mike you can try: <br /><br />"Runabout Renovation - How to find and Fix Up an Old Fiberglass Speedboat" by Jim Anderson. The author runs a boat shop in minnesota and restores old runabouts.<br /><br />It's a cheap but good paperback with very useful advice on how to restore an old boat. There is a good section on fixing gel-coat cracks and crazing (you have to enlarge them before filling) and on prepping for full hull paint jobs, plus sections on how to carry out deck and transom repairs and replacement. I've found it to be a great reference.

 

[6MISFITZ]

Re: Book/Giude/Web site on Fiberglass repairs or manitenance?

Thanks for the reply suzukidave.<br />I will try to find it on amazon, if not the next stop will be the marina.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Book/Giude/Web site on Fiberglass repairs or manitenance?

http://www.westsystem.com/ these people have some low cost booklets on fiberglass repair. <br /><br />Bob

 

[dicktaber]

Re: Book/Giude/Web site on Fiberglass repairs or manitenance?

I bought a copy of this book just a couple weeks ago on the advice of this b/b. Very informative and well written. I went to half.com--you can search by author, title, subject or ISBN, which in this case is 0-87742-295-8. Cost about $11.00 plus $2 shipping, and was at my door in about four days.