Need Major Help

[MikeCustomBaitPainter]

The Pic Shows Were The Damage Is , The White Arrows Shown Where The Crack Starts , Cracked Area Is Broken All The Way Through As Well. How Do I Start To Fix This and/or Whats Your Thoughts On Cost ?

I've Never Did Any Type Of Fiberglass Work.

Thanks For All Your Input.

Mike P.

 

[Woodonglass]

Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but...there's a very good chance that your problems are a LOT bigger than just what you can see.:blue:

More than likely there's a lot of rot going on below the deck as well. Boats generally rot from the Bottom up, so if it's gotten up to where it is now, then there's serious issues below. You really need to remove a larger section of the carpet and the plywood decking so you can see what's going on below. I'm afraid you won't like what you find. The repairs will more than likely be extensive. What boat? What Year?

 

[sphelps]

How did the damage happen ?

 

[MikeCustomBaitPainter]

1988 Stratos Bass Bost , The Seat Base Is Located Right Above The Live Well , Where The Fiberglass Is Thin , I Don't Think There Was Enough Support As In Thickness and That's Were It Broke Apart.

I've Went Over The Boat , There Seems To Be , No Other Weak Spots ?

How Do I Start To Try and Fix This Area Of The Boat ?

Mike P.

 

[Woodonglass]

It's hard to tell from the pic but...Is there a live well hatch Hinge involved? I'm think I see where this might be the case. If so this will complicate things. The lip of the hatch will prolly need to be rebuilt as well as the deck portion. As I stated previously your first order of business is to remove the carpet and get the glue off. That's gunna require a razor scraper, grinder or sander, 40 grit paper, chemicals...whatever it takes. You have to get down to good fresh glass to make the repairs and get a minimum of 6" exposed all around the damaged area.

 

[MikeCustomBaitPainter]

Yes , There Is A Live Well Hatch Hinge Involved , In The Pic You Can See Where The Screws From The Hinge Weakened The Fiberglass.

Like I Posted Above , I've Never Did Any Type Of Deck / Fiberglass Work , Looks Like I'll Have To Shop Around For Someone That Can Do The Repair.

Mike

 

[sphelps]

Can you get under it at all ?Try and take a picture of the area from underneath .. Does the deck have any wood glassed to it and your gunna need to check it for rot .. I,m just guessing that the wood around ,if any, may have become weak from rot and it just gave way ..If that's the case you will need to replace the wood ..
If you have any carpentry skills at all you should be able to fix it ...

 

[Woodonglass]

Fiberglass work is NOT that complicated. We have members that could not even Spell phyburglass when they first joined and they have since gone on to totally rebuild their boats and done almost pro like jobs. Don't let it SKEER YA!!! We can and will help you but first we have to know what the issues are and right now we can't really help until more demo is done to get to the problem.

 

[Mark72233]

Mike, I never even smelled fiberglass resin before I started this project and there was no one standing next to me while I learned unless you count the dozens of good folks on this site. Read up, watch some of the videos and jump in there. If you mess up you will know it and its fiberglass, grind it out and do it again. Its been fun.

 

[MikeCustomBaitPainter]

No Title

Ok , Here Are Pic's From Under The Damaged Area , I Also Took Some Pic's To Show Other Areas Of The Condition Of The Deck.

Mike

 

[Woodonglass]

So, in your estimation would you say there was wood in this location at one time an it has rotted away?

 

[MikeCustomBaitPainter]

Well , I'm The Second Owner , To Me The Wood Rotted , By The Other Pic's This Is The Only Area That's In This Condition.

Where Do I Start With This ?

Mike P.

 

[sphelps]

Well without actually crawling under and looking at it . I would start by gaining as much access to it from underneath as you can . It looks like the wood for the seat base needs replacing so ya got to get al the bad rotten wood out as possible . A small angle grinder with some heavy grit sanding disk . Carefully get all the crud off to clean glass . You will have to do the same on top . As Woody said pull the carpet back and grind the area around the hole back a good 8" or so . Get just past the gell coat to clean glass .. You will need to cut /fabricate new wood to fit in under the area . I would put a layer of csm on the wood before gluing into place .
Think strongest possible support for the area . You have a lot of stress with the seat and hatch going on at that spot .
do you have any glassing supplies . if your just going to put carpet back down then using epoxy will be your strongest choice but poly can be used also .
Start with the prep ...

 

[MikeCustomBaitPainter]

Hey Sphelps

I Have No Supplies , Can You Let Me Know What I'm Going To Need and What Is CSM ?

What Type Of Wood Am I Going To Need ?

I'm Guessing The Raised Lip For The Hatch Will Need Some Type Of Filler and Then Glassed ?

Thank You All For Your Help.

Mike P,

 

[Woodonglass]

We're gunna need some pics of the area from the topside from a better perspective. I need to see the entire area from 6 feet away so I can understand the entire area and how it all goes together and what's gunna have to be cut out and put back together. Once we know that, we can better determine the materials needed.

 

[MikeCustomBaitPainter]

Once This Weather Breaks , I'll Get The Carpet Pulled and Take Pic's.

Mike

 

[MikeCustomBaitPainter]

Double Post

 

[MikeCustomBaitPainter]

No Title

Newest Pic's

 

[Woodonglass]

Ok, What's your Cosmetic Expectations when you get the repairs completed. I see the boat is a Burgundy Metal Flake. Once the Cutting and Fiberglassing is all done are you going to want to try and match the current metal Flake cuz that WILL be a problem. Carpet will cover most of the repairs but not all. Again I must warn you that once we start cutting and opening up the deck, I fear we are going to find issues that will lead you down a bigger restoration of the boat that you may not be prepared for. But for right now IF, BIG IF, we don't find any issues other than the repair at hand, here's my recommendation. Other members may have other ideas.

Using a Multi Tool I'd cut across the top of the raised section at the dotted red line and down to the flat section and then along the bottom of the raised section all the way around the outlined area and remove it. You will then be able to see what's down below and also have the ability to clean the bottom of the removed section as well as the bottom areas of the surrounding sections. They need to be clean too, so you can glass some cleats to them for the repair. Once the bottom sides are all sanded and clean you'll glass new wood to them and the cleats. We can discuss the details once the section is removed and we know what's going on below.

 

[sphelps]

I agree the top needs to come off so you can actually get down under to prep it properly ..
How about this Woody .. Instead of cutting it at the inside bottom corner cut it at the top outside corner and along the dotted line . That looks like about an inch or 1-1/2 " step up . Just guessing 3 layers of ply with the bottom layer extending all the way as far as you can all the way around . That would be glued in first then the other 2 pcs glued in over that . That way all new glass on top and down around the edges. 2-1/4 of plywood to remount the seat base to .. It would sure be nice if you could glass a pcs of plywood stood vertically under the broken edge like a bulkhead of sorts ...