Help hole in fiberglass boat

[pra100]

I have a 19' Mariah fiberglass boat.It has a hole in outer hull about 1/8 wide by 7" long.<br />It is just in front of carpeted rail on trailer so ever time i load boat it will go right over repair,so there fore it must be strong.I can get to it from inside.In fact I can look through it.<br />How can I repair this?Would some of the hole repair puttys work then fiber glass over it from inside?Maybe one of the gel-coat repair kits,then fiberglass over it.Need advise.I am just sick over this hole.

 

[lakerunner]

Re: Help hole in fiberglass boat

Check out the project boats and backyard boat building forum.<br /><br />The main thing is to tie the repair into the existing glass. A little cuttin,grindin,glassin,sandin paintin and your done.

 

[Solittle]

Re: Help hole in fiberglass boat

Philip - Welcome to the vast sinkhole of boating knowledge.<br /><br />To expand on lakerunner a tad. First it is a pretty strait forward job and if you can see through the hole you best fix it right. The little fiberglass repair kits ain't gonna cut it. You need to grind & clean an area 6" or so around the hole from the inside of the hull and glass-in at least a layer of fiberglass mat and a layer of woven roving. After that from the outside fill in the hole with a fiberglass paste, smooth out and paint. All the stuff to do this should be found at your local marine supply store.

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Help hole in fiberglass boat

Actually, the damage doesn't sound too bad. If you can readily get at it from the inside, you are ahead of the game. You can use either epoxy or polyester resin, with fiberglass cloth. Work from the inside. Fill the crack/hole with resin and cloth, then overlay with more cloth soaked in the resin (or epoxy) -- Just lay the cloth over the hole and apply the resin over the cloth. Repeat with another layer or two. When hardened, go to the outside of the hole and do some sanding of resin that has come through. Then repeat the process with the cloth and resin, sand off, and (preferably) paint.

 

[taz33911]

Re: Help hole in fiberglass boat

If you don't have much experience with glass work listen up grind it from the inside about a 6 or 8 inches around the split are then grind across the split beveling it out as you go no sharp corners go almost through the glass over the split.clean it up real good with a shop vac hint it may help to have the hose of the vac in the area while you are grinding to help keep the dust down it will make you itch. cut you some glass jut a little biger than the split and cut a few more pieces progessivly bigger than the last. put some 3M masking tape over the split on the outside of the hull to keep the resin from running out make sure you use good tape or the resin will loosen the glue on the tape and leak out anyway.get you some cardboard or something like it and wet the glass out on it less mess that way wear rubber gloves do a few layers at a time let them cure out sand lightly and repeat till it is about original thickness of the glass .then you can use your gel repair kit on the outside sand the area apply your patch let it cure sand it down then paint the area . last but not least happy boating.