Help!! QUICK TRIP COMING UP

[bluediamond46]

I found a crack in the bottom of my fiber glass hull near the rear of the boat, it is a ranger 14'4", will a fiber-glass repair kit do the trick ,,,,any suggestions would be appreciated very very much boating trip coming up soon

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Help!! QUICK TRIP COMING UP

Marine tex would be a quick and relialbe fix for small cracks.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Help!! QUICK TRIP COMING UP

how big is the crack? does it go all the way thru? does it leak?

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Help!! QUICK TRIP COMING UP

Bluediamond, Is it a crack, or some damage from impact? A crack impiles some part of the boat is weak, flexing too much, or has some other issues. I usually repair a crack from inside the hull, which allows me to make it stronger than the original, and perhaps uncover and repair the reason for the failure. An impact can sometimes be repaired from the outside, if it is not too extensive.

 

[bluediamond46]

Re: Help!! QUICK TRIP COMING UP

Bluediamond, Is it a crack, or some damage from impact? A crack impiles some part of the boat is weak, flexing too much, or has some other issues. I usually repair a crack from inside the hull, which allows me to make it stronger than the original, and perhaps uncover and repair the reason for the failure. An impact can sometimes be repaired from the outside, if it is not too extensive.

The crack is about 4 inches long, it leaks, i can not get to the inside of the boat as it is covered, this is a ranger boat.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Help!! QUICK TRIP COMING UP

Marine tex from the outside.... you might want to grind it a bit so the marine tex gets a bite. Once you apply the marine tex cover the repair with 2" wide plastic packing tape. This is insure a real smooth finish and after it is dry just peel the tape away and you will be impressed. I usually let repairs dry 24 hours.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Help!! QUICK TRIP COMING UP

Bluediamond, You can get to the crack from the inside, but it will be "painful" for you to rip up the carpet, cut out the floor, and dig out the foam. So, why not try to repair from the outside. As Bob says, grind (sand w/ heavy paper) the crack down until you have "feathered" the fiberglass. Now use epoxy resin and 4-5 layers of cloth, each cut a bit bigger than the previous piece. Saturate the smallest piece and place it over the center of the crack, follow with the next smallest piece etc, until you have built up the thickness to match or exceed the original. After it hardens, you may fill any imperfections with Marine-Tex.

Now after the repair is complete test the boat and see if the crack returns. If so, you need to repair it from the inside, and inspect the stringers nearby for rot and failure.