Fiberglass and Gelcoat repair

[Jackew]

Ok, as south Louisiana winter comes to an end - I have some repairs needed to the bottom of boat. My last trip out I ran over a flat with oyster shell and rock , I'm guessing? Anyways I took some pictures of the damage. My thought is that is not that serious and mostly cosmetic. I'm thinking it a DIY project with the correct repair kit. Any suggestions or thoughts? @Glassman what you think? Any suggestions and all are welcomed.

 

[swatski]

Any suggestions and all are welcomed.

@Jackew Sorry to hear, that just sucks.
Since you asked... I would not consider this to be a simple repair and probably not a DIY project unless you have some serious experience and plenty of time to devote to it. I would definitely not consider it cosmetic.

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[Bruce]

@Glassman, what do you think about this one? Looks painful to me!

 

[Bruce]

@Jackew, how long was she in the water after this injury? Does the fiberglass feel solid?

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Looks like surface damage to me...nothing structural. Lots of grinding, fairing, sanding and buffing in the near future. This is probably more than a first time gel coat repair DIY guy would want to bite off unless you are a handy lad with plenty of time.

It needs to be well dried and repaired before you go back into the drink.

Research a Keelshield, you might want to invest in one to protect your keel for the next time or for beaching.

 

[Mainah]

I would get some quotes. You want an area like that done right to be both waterproof and not add drag. The cost may be enough for a claim.

 

[Jackew]

Thanks for all the feedback so far. I agree that it's surface damage and not structural. I was surprised to see it look as bad as it did , when I first saw it.

After running over the flat, I was in the water less than 20 minutes. So the glass is very solid and I'm sure there is nothing structural to worry about.

Being on the bottom of the boat I'm not concerned about how pretty my repair job will look; I am worried about how strong the new gelcoat will be. I am a handy guy and if I know I am using the correct product - I feel I can do the repair myself. There are so many options regarding gelcoat products|. so I guess I am really asking for what is the best product I need to use.

@Murf'n'surf the keelshield suggest was spot on. After the repair I want to put on of these on top of the repaired area. But first things first I wanna get me a solid gelcoat on first.


Looking forward to learn what product I need and where I can buy .

 

[Mainah]

Certainly not my area of expertise but from what I do know I think this repair calls for a white non-waxed laminating gel coat. I don't know what brands are the best but west systems seems to be a popular one.

 

[PEARCE]

I would certainly get some quotes on that. I just had a repair done on my Yamaha that was in the black towards the rear corner. I clipped the edge of a metal dock at the end of last season and it left a 4 inch scratch. Part of it was deep enough to reach fiberglass, but nothing like yours. My insurance quote was $850. It wound up being $750 and I had no deductible. I'll spend the difference on oil and filters for this year. It could have been a DIY project if I wanted, but I just didn't want to mess with it and I wanted it done correctly the first time. The guy who did it for me said he spent 6 hours on it. It looks like new now! Good luck with the repair and watch out for those oyster beds!

 

[swatski]

Certainly not my area of expertise but from what I do know I think this repair calls for a white non-waxed laminating gel coat. I don't know what brands are the best but west systems seems to be a popular one.

@Jackew Spectrum manufactures all newer Yamaha OEM gel coats, and supplies OEM gel coat resins and repair kits in various sizes and exact colors used in production. iBoats is the only supplier/seller. Whoever does the repair will go that route, if they know what they are doing.

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[blacksapphirez]

@Jackew Spectrum manufactures all newer Yamaha OEM gel coats, and supplies OEM gel coat resins and repair kits in various sizes and exact colors used in production. iBoats is the only supplier/seller. Whoever does the repair will go that route, if they know what they are doing.

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@swatski have you done a repair using this on your previous boat? I ask specifically because i have the same blue hull and wanted to see if the color match is good

 

[swatski]

@swatski have you done a repair using this on your previous boat? I ask specifically because i have the same blue hull and wanted to see if the color match is good

Yep. I'm happy to send you my leftovers, I only needed/used a tiny amount. I think it is a very nice quality kit. Also, it is a paste, so super easy to use.
Just let me know, I have no use for it, pm me your address and I will put int he mail.
I would personally buy new/fresh for an actual repair, mine is about 6-8 months old - you could use it to play with it on the side just to get a handle and confirm the color match (which will match if they say so).

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[swatski]

@blacksapphirez It's in the mail!


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[blacksapphirez]

I thank you very much sir!

 

[CrankyGypsy]

as others said, this is neither simply cosmetic or structural. it's something you can accomplish on your own if you've got the patience and time because there is a lot of sanding in your future (but a ton of money to be saved). you can see the fibers of glass fraying, so those definitely need ground away. your repair areas are going to be quite bigger than the damage - unfortunately, i lost my damage pics and only have the repair pics. wipe with acetone to follow any cracks and grind those out, too. on my 2005 AR230, there was a layer of grey resin/compound behind the glass ...then, i believe, another layer of glass behind that. i just ground to the grey.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/how-to-beginner-frp-repair-in-the-driveway.8184/

i would do the patch with vinyl ester and then use a brush or roller to apply the new gelcoat. you'll want a 6" orbital with a soft pad and you can make your own fairing boards (though one with a soft pad would be ideal: $55+). my repair came out better than great and the fact that it was on the bottom makes it impossible to notice, so it was a good way to learn. FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) is an amazing medium and i'm glad i took the time to learn it as i am currently putting my new skill to use again: https://jetboaters.net/threads/2004-2006-230-floor-rot-repair.11861/

 

[tdonoughue]

Like @CrankyGypsy , I had a very similar repair. Er, have, actually. Not quite done even yet. See:

https://jetboaters.net/threads/stump-strike-repair-was-oh-glassman.10442/

I agree you are talking about a lot of time. Possible, but a lot of time. You probably will not need to lay new glass, but that work on the gelcoat is far beyond what you can do with just the paste. You will need a sprayer and probably the real gelcoat. I worked with the paste a bunch (I think I went through 3 jars of it) before I finally bought a pint and will use my real sprayer with it to finish it up. Someday.

 

[Glassman]

Looks like surface damage to me...nothing structural. Lots of grinding, fairing, sanding and buffing in the near future. This is probably more than a first time gel coat repair DIY guy would want to bite off unless you are a handy lad with plenty of time.

It needs to be well dried and repaired before you go back into the drink.

Research a Keelshield, you might want to invest in one to protect your keel for the next time or for beaching.

As usual, Murph covered this appropriately. The KeelShield is a great way to protect the boat. I've had similar damage and kicked myself for not installing one sooner.

I just towed the boat home to get some pre-season repairs done and I have a few scrapes to clean up as well.

 

[CooCoo]

@blacksapphirez It's in the mail!
View attachment 50708View attachment 50709

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how big an area does a jar cover?

 

[swatski]

how big an area does a jar cover?

Goes a long way, but it is a PASTE, really meant for filling in some dings and scratches, not to cover large surfaces.

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[CooCoo]

Goes a long way, but it is a PASTE, really meant for filling in some dings and scratches, not to cover large surfaces.

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Thanks. I need to take some pictures and post them. See what you all think.