Take a look at my hull (pictures) - what needs to be done here?

[redfury]

Re: Take a look at my hull (pictures) - what needs to be done here?

What about an angle grinder...I'd think you'd be better off grinding away the bad glass/gel coat, and then rebuild with some new fiberglass and a good number of layers of a nice epoxy paint to seal it all up, then put on the keel guard.

If the rest of the boat is as described, what can it hurt? Just make sure you bring a bucket or a high capacity bilge pump "just in case"

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: Take a look at my hull (pictures) - what needs to be done here?

What about an angle grinder...I'd think you'd be better off grinding away the bad glass/gel coat....

Thanks for the idea - I wouldn't have thought of that. Tried a planer, and that didn't work either. But, the grinder works real good! Took a few minutes to get the technique down (keep moving, and moving fast) but it came off. The area in the pictures took about 15 minutes.

I found out some history when grinding... looks like the gelcoat cracked (advanced hydrolysis - http://pointbaymarina.com/Fiberglassdamage.htm) and a previous owner decided to paint over it (as I was about to).

Anyhow - I'm now debating now whether or not to go on with this. I saw a couple other boats out there for around $500 with non-running engines, and the ads (at least) say that they're solid otherwise.

For this guy, paint materials will be around $100 (guessing) and new seats will be $350. So, for $50 more I could have another engine, trailer, and a hull w/ no (or at least, smaller) problems. I hate to do it, but I'm going to have to at least look a few others before I devote a ton of time to this thing.

Plus, how to I seal that bare fiberglass? I really don't want to mess with the expense or labor involved with applying gelcoat. Is paint good enough?

Do I have room for 2 boats with trailers? My neighbors are going to love me....

 

[Evinrude Boater]

Re: Take a look at my hull (pictures) - what needs to be done here?

Interesting reading Joey,
I got a free boat too, three years ago as my join date testifies. At least $2500 dollars later and two summers in the garage resulted in the boat pictured in my avatar. There's more photos on my photobucket web site. I can't seem to post photos here.
Was it worth it? No, not really but I do have a classic boat with a darn solid hull and floor, reasonable finish and confidence knowing what I have.
This was a real good education for me. I enjoy engines and greasy finger nails, not glass fiber everywhere. I'm still brushing it off stuff in my garage.
If you continue with your boat, I can tell you I took my boat off the trailer, installed a 2x6 brace across the gunwales and rolled it over on the lawn. I scraped paint and old fiberglass patches off using a propane torch and a paint scraper. A quick heating with the torch and the paint bubbled up and peeled off easily. A little more heat and the gel coat comes off too. It's good to have a breeze or a fan behind you to blow the fumes away. The keel was broken and a few holes were patched (poorly). That all came off and I patched them with epoxy and glass. The gel coat was cracked everywhere below the water line so I used Glue-vit to seal it. It goes on a bit bumpy but cosmetics below the water line wasn't a concern for me. I taped a line about and inch above the water line and stopped the Glue-vit there.
The floor and stringers were completely rotted. I ripped it all out to the bare hull and rebuilt it. I found some good used seats (not the brown ones in the photos) from a boat destined for the dump. The sides are carpeted inside and the floor is painted with non-slip floor paint. I painted the top side with Interlux Premium Yacht Paint using the roll and tip method and it turned out great. Other boaters on my lake have asked how I painted it because its so shiney. The bottom is painted with Industrial Formulators Titanium Finish. I have some reservations with that product that I haven't addressed with the manufacturer yet.
In the end, I can't sell the boat for what I have in it let alone the time. I have spent the last two years looking at cheap boats for sale to compare to what I have and each have their own drawbacks. I've justified my decision to rebuild this boat and I would consider myself lucky to have a decent motor. As I tell my wife, "I could have bought a newer boat for twice the money and had to replace the floor too".
I find that the opinions expressed here (on iboats) are different depending on their location. If you live in the center of a boating area where old boats are used for garden decorations then a boat like yours is considered junk. Inversely, for people that don't have a lot to choose from, a free boat is a welcome offer. I find that in the motor forums as well.
Look around, ask lots of questions (of others and yourself) and determine if you'll be happy with that boat when it's done. I feel very accomplished having finished this boat and have no regrets.
Evinrude Boater

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: Take a look at my hull (pictures) - what needs to be done here?

Evinrude - Thanks for the advice. I was looking for something like that... a situation similar to mine.

Another boat was sold before I had a chance to look at it (yesterday); it sounded promising though, and was only $400. Maybe I'll have to wait until fall/winter when there are less buyers and more sellers, and just keep my eye open until then.

 

[External Combustion]

Re: Take a look at my hull (pictures) - what needs to be done here?

Since you are only talking about below the water line a beautiful finish is not needed. Trihulls are common here in the Nations. My own is an old MFG that also needed some help.

Take a belt sander or a right angle drive grinder and rough up the gel coat. Buy some polyester resin if yours is polyester or expoxy resin if yours is epoxy. For the size you have a gallon will be more than enough. Add the correct coloring agent, flip the hull upside down and with a plastic appication tool (available at your auto parts store) slather on your new gelcoat a small section at a time.

You will probably have thirty hours into the job. If it is polyester the cost should be under $150 including the sandpaper or under $225 if epoxy.

No one will see the slight imperfections while you are on the water!

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: Take a look at my hull (pictures) - what needs to be done here?

In case anyone else has a similar problem like mine, I figured I'd post my new plan of action. After MUCH research about resins and their chemistry, I decided that it'd be best for me to sand (roughen up) the hull, prime/fill with a 2-part epoxy primer (4-5 coats if need be - rolled on), and finish with a polyurethane enamel.

So I start removing the last bits of hardware, and what's this? A soft spot where the seat was screwed into the floor? About 2 10" diameter areas are rotted.

Checked the transom, and there is a 2" diameter area that's soft (from where a previous motor was mounted). Rest is pretty sound.

So, now I'm trying to decide if I should junk the hull or begin the project. I really like the boat's layout and size, but it's turning out to be more than I asked for.