Need advise please- 1st timer- gelcoat repair below waterline

[Dualie]

Hey everyone,

i am thinking of buying this used (1996) PWC. Low hours, good price but.. the hull has some damage from being beached everyday during the summer. The beach sand has worn through the gelcoat and the seller claims that it might take on a little water. I have one picture and have not seen it in person yet.

what do you recommend that I use to fix it? or should I stay away from it all together?

i have heard to use 3M 5200 to patch it, then use Maritex to blend it in nicely?

any input would be a huge help!

thanks in advance - dualie.

 

[gcboat]

Re: Need advise please- 1st timer- gelcoat repair below waterline

I'd forget the 5200 - it doesn't have the structural strength you need.
The Marine Tex is a good alternative but for something that big I'd consider redoing it with glass mat.
Don't know how it runs or how much you're gonna' pay for it so the decision is yours. Probably have $150.00 in repairs to do it all. If you do keep it and fix it I would recommend a small Keel Shield or similiar.
Do remember that it all must be bone dry before any repairs can be done.

 

[oops!]

Re: Need advise please- 1st timer- gelcoat repair below waterline

glass it.....mat then roving...then gell the area.....that is a common repair,

but the only way it will take on water, is if it is whacked on somthing, look for impact spots, that will tell you more

if there is no major impact spots, and the glass isnt worn thru, the intrusin is probabally from the drive

 

[Dualie]

Re: Need advise please- 1st timer- gelcoat repair below waterline

can you clarify what glass mat is, and roving?

also, do you think it hit something vs. being rubbed by sand/stone each summer. would the gelcoat disappear and or leak in the hull with that kind of wear or is something else going on?

it is a 3-up waverunner by yamaha, has 133 hours of freshwater use and he is asking $1100 for it. he says it runs great and all is good except the hull area shown.

thanks again gc & oops for your insight!

-d

 

[oops!]

Re: Need advise please- 1st timer- gelcoat repair below waterline

hi dualie, read hull extenision in progress....it goes pretty deep into glassing...

basically there is about 5 different kinds of fiberglass.....


the one called matt.....is csm or chopped strand matt...it comes in .75 oz thru till about 2 oz ...(thickness) csm is used to add bulk, to a substrate.


cloth , for the purposes of this discussion we will call anything not csm cloth....is uasually a woven type of fabric....and can be seen in wallmart.

there are several different types of cloth ....including some that have matt attached to it....this is called bi-ax.....a common weight (in boat building is 1708....17 oz of cloth and 8 oz of matt)

as far as the hull of the jet flea, it has little hours for that type of damage,

i would look for an impact spot. but for the cash your gonna be into it for as long as it runs it should be good....we can walk you thru the repair.....

estimated repair time 3 hrs

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Need advise please- 1st timer- gelcoat repair below waterline

It not a difficult repair, but use epoxy to do it, some PWC's use products that can be difficult to bond to.

 

[Dualie]

Re: Need advise please- 1st timer- gelcoat repair below waterline

Great info guys! thank you!

i hear you what you are saying about the impact potential. will do good overall check before the purchase.

there appears to be a bunch of these jet fleas available out there. maybe this is headache for $$ i am thinking of spending.

thanks for helping me see more clearly about this rig.

dualie.

 

[oops!]

Re: Need advise please- 1st timer- gelcoat repair below waterline

still sounds like a great bargain to me....after you do one gellcoat repair....you wont be afaraid of nuthin !!!!

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Need advise please- 1st timer- gelcoat repair below waterline

I second on using epoxy... lots better adhesion and stronger. would probably be fine to use just that and a few layers of glass mat.

 

[Squid Billy]

Re: Need advise please- 1st timer- gelcoat repair below waterline

Makes you wonder if hes beaching it that much and that hard, you better hope he shuts the engine off before he hits the sand. The sand can be very abrasive to the impeller. See if you can have a look at that, there might be a surprise in their.