my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

[capt-pete]

(1978 Thundercraft trihull) So, after our fifth outing on the new boat today, I decide it is finally time to put a little elbow grease into a good washing, and up front on the port side, i notice a crack. Never saw it before, since it is a little further down (probably right above water level at planing out) -- it is about 4 inches long, and i can push on it with my finger and it feels a little soft. Also feels like I could peel it back if I pried on it much. I havent pushed really hard on it, as I am afraid I might push a hole all the way through? (How thick are these hulls, anyway?)

I know NOTHING about fiberglass repair, or how to tell if fiberglass hulls can go rotten? When on the water, she feels like a rubbermaid lid when sledding though, but I figured it was just the floor, the stringers still feel REALLY solid.

Could I go and buy a keel shield, and just cover this crack until winter, when I can get someone to do some fiberglass repair? How can i tell if this hull is just toast? There also appears to be some damage under the hull, where maybe someone hit a stump, but it appears to be superficial and runs all he way from windshield level to the end, but it doesnt feel soft there, like it does up front.

thanks for any advice. I hope I havent bought a big problem.
-pete

 

[Nandy]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

Hard to tell you much without photos. Fiberglass does not rot. The wood covered under the fiberglass does. Find a body shop that does fiberglass and let them do an estimate. Take it to 2 or 3 places and they will tell you how bad it really is. A hole below the waterline is no joke. You can sink your boat easily. To me it sounds like someone tried a repair but is there is no telling. Again, I urge you to take it to check, it might be something that can wait or it could be something serious.

 

[capt-pete]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

Thanks for the reply. I wouldn't say it's taking in a TON of water, just have to hit the bilge pump every 30 minutes or so for about 15 seconds... and that's in choppy water cruising at about 30 mph. It does take on more if I really get to plowing through turns and driving hard.... and it is technically a hole, but more of a crack or split... not sure if it goes all the way through. I would take a picture, but my digital camera has not battery power, and we cant find the charger. (Ain't life grand?)

I bought a little sand paper and some "waterweld" to hopefully get through tomorrow, and then next week I will take it to a repair shop to get an estimate on fixing the hull throughout...

Any ideas on what the going rate for fiberglass work is?

 

[Nandy]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

About $25 an hour. By your description you are prob looking at 8 to 16 hours of glass work. I'm done some glass work but I'm no expert. If they have to remove the upper half of your boat then it will be more.

 

[capt-pete]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

Oh, well if it's 400 max to fix the hull, I am cool with that. If it's 400 to fix that one spot HOLY COW.

I put the waterweld in there and will sand it smooth in about 30 minutes. It seemed to go up into the area very well, and so far, seems to have set okay.. If that temporary fix will do for tomorrow, I will just have the hull re-done next week and be out on the water again in no time (I hope) -- I don't have a lot into this boat yet, but sure do like it.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

I will slide this into the restoration section. The serious problem is what is getting wet .... such as the flotation. Water intrusion into fiberglass is not good either.


You really should snap a few photos and we have some pro's that frequent the resto section. You will get some advice that is priceless.

 

[capt-pete]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

this img is huge, but confirms that the crack was there when I bought the boat.. It is halfway between the Roller on the fron of the trailer and the alabama registration sticker where the brown and the white parts of the hull meet. You can just see it in the brown, and it runs down about 3 inches. I am not freaked out as bad now, as the water I am taking on is manageable.

See how the hull on the bottom is delaminating though? Do I need to look for a new hull, or can this be repaired? It looks like it was either beached hard, or hit a stump, as this runs almost to the end of the back of the boat. It doesnt feel soft there, just like 1mm has been shaved off of the hull along with all of the color.

Sorry for the awful pics. no camera, and I know NOTHING about fiberglass.

The crack somewhat reminds me of what happens to a 1978 Corvette's nose when it hits a curb. (Both are fiberglass, I know) but it seems like a clean break or gash. It's filled with Waterweld now, until I can take it into the shop

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

I think what you have described is close to this thread http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=317687&highlight=keel+gelcoat

 

[capt-pete]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

Well, the patch didn't make it a whole day... but it does appear that it is above the water line for the most part. So, as far as I am concerned, JB Waterweld is not a good product to patch holes or cracks in fiberglass hulls, when the hull flexes, the weld loses its grip and you just have a big flake. I will look into the Marine-Tex solution this week, but it looks like I am going to need some significant hull repairs soon. It's manageable for now, but I assume these things only worsen with time. Looks like I take on a gallon or so every 20 minutes.

On a plus note, the boat ran nice.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

That hole will need to be ground out and repaired from both sides with fiberglass cloth and resin. Marine tex is not flexible and will give the same band aid result.

 

[jonesg]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

shouldn't be flexin where its flexin to do that, if its a bow rider pull the front seats and power sand the hull inside, a good strong glass patch might do it.
Once it stops flexing you can do the outside.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

Hello Pete...

Can you get to the inside at all ? You NEED to do inside lams on the inside below the waterline.. you Should do them above on hull.. you can get away just outside lams on the deck

If cosmetics are not an issue..then take a small grinder and get some of that dead glass off on the outside. Patch the spot with some resin and glass ( mat will do fine m8 ). From the looks of it you will have about a 2"x6" repair so sand and paint.

The other hull repairs.. can you get some pics on those ?

YD.

 

[capt-pete]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

sorry for the terrible quality, it's dark outside and digital camera is dead. I pulled these screenshots off of my wife's flip video camera.

I will also post a link to vids of these issues, might be easier to see that way. Anyway, the top 2 pics are of the bottom of the hull. Looks like the gelcoat(?) is coming off... but the hull there seems REALLY thick and solid. The bottom pic is of the cracked area where I tried the jb waterweld patch, and what it looks like now that it has come off part-way and after I had sanded to apply it. You might not be able to tell, but that's fiberglass cloth you can see there.. I bought a fiberglass kit. I might try sanding all around that pplace and applying resin and another layer of cloth or two, and then sanding it smooth, if I can. Never worked with fiberglass before.

I'll find a place to host the vids and post a link in a separate post.

 

[capt-pete]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

Video of crack (now hole)

 

[capt-pete]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

1st vid of gelcoat(?) damage

Oh, and it doesnt look like I will be able to get to the inside of the hull without taking out the floor. The seats on the bow are atop fiberglass that all looks like one piece that would come off if I removed the trim, rivets, and separated the top from the bottom half.

Probably should have looked at more boats, but she runs GREAT, and for some reason, well, i just wanted this one.

 

[capt-pete]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

Last video underneath boat
With some attention I hope this can all be repaired.

 

[jonesg]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

1st vid of gelcoat(?) damage

Oh, and it doesnt look like I will be able to get to the inside of the hull without taking out the floor. The seats on the bow are atop fiberglass that all looks like one piece that would come off if I removed the trim, rivets, and separated the top from the bottom half.

Probably should have looked at more boats, but she runs GREAT, and for some reason, well, i just wanted this one.

I'd take my sawzall and cut the seats out, it has to be done from inside, the seat molding can be glassed back and concealed later.

Either that or pop the cap,
but I like my sawzall.

I guarentee you'll have spent more time hemmin and hawin than it'll take to do it in the end. Just seems to work that way the first time.

 

[Nandy]

Re: my new boat, fiberglass, crack on bow!

I'd take my sawzall and cut the seats out, it has to be done from inside, the seat molding can be glassed back and concealed later.

Either that or pop the cap,
but I like my sawzall.

I guarentee you'll have spent more time hemmin and hawin than it'll take to do it in the end. Just seems to work that way the first time.

Or,
If you don't care about aesthetics fix it from the outside.