Pre-purchase advice needed for newbee

[Hockeyman_VT]

I spend more time on ice than I do on the water, but that might change soon. Dear father-in-law has given kids his 35' sailboat to care for. We are looking to buy a dinghy to trail behind. I have found one for about $200 that has had quite a few years on it and am wondering if it is worth puting back in service. As the picture shows, the gelcoat is VERY discolored and there are plenty of spider web cracks but The fiberglass seems complete and strong. I am thinking that cleaning, strengthening a few places where the wooden keel attaches, coupled with replacing all the wooden rails, keel and seats, should being it back to something that would be OK to use. I am completely comfortable with the wooden parts of the project but have not done much with marine fiberglass/gelcoat restoration. The hull seems thin (1/4") is this something to be concerned about keeping in mind that it will be used to get to and from the shore to the boat?
Should I have my head examined for even thinking that this could reasonably be done?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Pre-purchase advice needed for newbee

Hello fellow VT person Welcome to a great boating site.

Looks like a nice rig and sounds like it will work. I imagine you are talking about Champlain and I have a few friend that do nothing in the summer but sail all over it.

Flip that boat over and scrub it down with bleach and plenty of comet cleanser.... do the inside too and you will be happy with the simple cleaning results. The filberglass work is easy and if you have the wood working skills you are home free.

The majority of stuff you might need can be had locally but at a premium price.... the internet is your friend!

If you need help drop me a line.... my email is in my profile.

Bob

 

[sdunt]

Re: Pre-purchase advice needed for newbee

Heres the reading and resource list:

The Fiberglass Boat Repair Manual by Allan H. Viatses
http://www.amazon.com/Fiberglass-Bo...0255336?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176991609&sr=1-2

Fiberglass Repair and Construction Handbook Author: Jack Wiley
http://www.amazon.com/Fiberglass-Re...9355330?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180026258&sr=1-1

Boat Repair and Restoration Articles @ West System
http://www.westsystem.com/ewmag/proj_repair.html

Suppliers:

http://www.uscomposites.com/polyesters.html

http://stores.ebay.com/Tordoff-Supply

Estimating Materials:
http://www.fgci.com/howto/ht006estimating.html

Catalyst Chart
http://www.fgci.com/howto/ht005catalyst_chart.html

Fiberglass Learning center (includes link to West System Manual)
http://www.fiberglasswarehouse.com/learning_center.asp

 

[Hockeyman_VT]

Re: Pre-purchase advice needed for newbee

sdunt,

This is exactly the jumpstart I needed. I have been using West System epoxy to renovate old metal sap buckets so I am very familiar with the process. It looks like the minor dings can be managed easily with WS and I can spend the time fabricating the new wood. FWIW I sent off a few ash logs from my land to be sawn into boards. I plan on soaking them in my pond when they come back and I should be able to cut them and bend them into shape easily.
Thanks for all your fine information.

Doug

 

[Hockeyman_VT]

Re: Pre-purchase advice needed for newbee

Well,
I got some time with the old dinghy. It DID clean up quite well but there are delaminations in the gelcoat below the waterline and s 10" crack in the apex of the bow below the waterline. Here is my plan. Tell me if I am doing something seriously wrong.
For the delaminations, I plan on chipping them out and coating the entire surfaces top and bottom with West System Epoxy. I then will sand and paint with a polyurethane paint.
For the crack I plan on using fiberglass both externally and internally again with West System. Since this is located at the point of the bow, should I provide some extra structural support to prevent flexing? I could imagine even some hardwood being useful if coated with West System. I also will replace all the wood with ash coated with West and then with varnish.

Am I headed in the right direction or to the bottom of Lake Champlain?


Doug

 

[gregtobin]

Re: Pre-purchase advice needed for newbee

I realize that you're already moving along on your project, but I wonder about the weight that you'll be carrying. With a sailboat, you'd want to keep the weight to a minimum. If you're going to use the boat for short runs from an anchorage to the shore, you might go with something inflatable or (gasp) plastic and light.