Fiberglass Repair Help :(

csvencer · #1 05-25-2008, 04:50 PM

So I picked up my V20 about two months ago and absolutely love it, as does my wife which makes boat bills easier to handle ;) but now I have a problem.

It looks like the previous owner hit a pile or dock on the port bow and did a shotty job repairing it. After last nights run through a serious squal (25 MPH winds with gusts to 45) the repair has fallen apart. Pics are below. I am thinking rubrail removal, remove all the wet glass, repair the bow, gelcoat either area, bow, entire boat, reinstalll rubrail, drink some cold ones as I pay the bill.... Any ideas on what this is going to run me? And secondly anyone know a good fiberglass shop in the Norfolk, VA area??? Thanks guys.

And how serious are we talking here....don't run till it gets repaired, fix it soon but don't slow down, or F -It lets go fishing!

-Svence

THEFERMANATOR · #2 05-25-2008, 05:30 PM

I'm not very good with fiberglass work, but I would say that needs to get fixed before any more trips. That is a structural area wher there is quite a bit of flexing, and if that begins to crack downward it could go below the waterline. Looks like your going to need to remove the rubrail and try and get inside the cuddy and build it back up with some stitched cloth and resin. I wouldn't attempt a filler repair on something like that as it wouldn't seem to me to have the required strength needed. Wish I could help out more, but fiberglass work is on that list of things I shouldn't be doing.

cfelton · #3 05-26-2008, 07:48 AM

Ferms right! I would'nt run it anymore till ya fix it. I'd remove the rubrail and grind out all the damaged area. You'll be able ta see how deep the damage goes as you remove the gelcoat. If the fiberglass looks kinda white it probably delaminated, and needs to come out! You can lay glass and resin back in till you build it back up. Be sure to feather all areas out to get a good bond between old and new glass.

csvencer · #4 05-26-2008, 08:00 AM

I know that a good chunk is going have to be ground out so I am not sure I should be the one doing it. I can do a lot of repair work but fiberglass is something I am still figuring out. Does anyone have an idea what this is going to set me back? At some point I have to balance repair cost vs the total cost of a '84 hull.

-Svence

cterrebonne · #5 05-26-2008, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csvencer

I know that a good chunk is going have to be ground out so I am not sure I should be the one doing it. I can do a lot of repair work but fiberglass is something I am still figuring out. Does anyone have an idea what this is going to set me back? At some point I have to balance repair cost vs the total cost of a '84 hull.

-Svence

glass is easy....if you dont put enough, put more, if you put too much grind it down.

for somthing like that just score some poly resing and some chop mat. then paint it if you dont want to re gel.

macojoe · #6 05-27-2008, 06:53 PM

Thats more of pain then it is hard to fix.
Rub rail off, grind down to the glass, 4 inches away from all around the damaged area. Start laying glass, till it is all the same as the out side edges, then go inside and do the same.
Sand all till it looks good gel coat and paint to match, I bet thats not more then a couple of days work.

Then you have to put the rub rail back on and there is the hard work, cause to get it off most screws will be junk and you will have to put all new. Depending how it goes you might just replace the whole thing?

csvencer · #7 05-28-2008, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macojoe

Thats more of pain then it is hard to fix.
Rub rail off, grind down to the glass, 4 inches away from all around the damaged area. Start laying glass, till it is all the same as the out side edges, then go inside and do the same.
Sand all till it looks good gel coat and paint to match, I bet thats not more then a couple of days work.

Then you have to put the rub rail back on and there is the hard work, cause to get it off most screws will be junk and you will have to put all new. Depending how it goes you might just replace the whole thing?

The problem is there really isn't anywhere I can "go inside" and lay glass from so I am thinking I am going to have to build it up from the inside but from the outside...??? I was maybe thinking I could fill the void on the inside with foam or something to give me a support to start buiding glass on top of until it is back out to the hull, the keep going and sand flat...thoughts?

-Svence

stuarbc · #8 04-16-2009, 03:33 PM

Did you ever do this work? I have the same issue. The previous owner just through a bunch of epoxy on it....and did a piss poor job of it. I noticed it was a little flexible around the damage so I started pealing away the epoxy to replace with marine tex for the time being. Well there is a hole through the hull into the anchor locker area.

For the meantime I am going to stuff back with epoxy but how do you glass a hole??
My thought was to grind it down and start laying glass from inside the anchor locker. That would buildup a good backing and then I could either glass on top of that from the outside....or marine tex over it and sand??? Thoughts

csvencer · #9 04-16-2009, 05:34 PM

I never did a complete fix to it. I ended up covering the entire crack with 5200 this winter. I had the boat out of the water and covered for about a month and a half to make sure it was as dry as I could get it and then coated the entire area with 5200. When I did it the temp was around 35 degrees so the 5200 stayed put pretty well and didn't drip that much. I know it isn't the prettiest fix but I know it is sealed up good and will keep water from getting into the fiberglass.

That area is a pain in the *** as you can't really get to the back side of it easily and you may have to pull the rub rail to get to the top edge. I know my fix isn't perfect but I figure the boat has 25 years on her and she's not going to be perfect.

-Svence

garagenc · #10 04-16-2009, 06:50 PM

There's a really good glass man over in Norfolk out there on VA beach blvd by Haines furniture store. A buddy of mine had his jet ski repaired there last year after 1 of the neighbors ran it into his dock. Most of the jetski/boat dealers take all their stuff there. You can't even tell it was damaged after he finishes.

If you want I can call my friend to get the name & ph#. You could remove the rub rail and let him fix it and you put the rub rail back on.