need fiberglass repair help

[fairpilot]

wanting to repair this area on my own if possible. Bunks have scratched the area. (my fault for not changing bunk when noticed) anyhow i kind of have idea but need so information on how a true fiberglass person would attack this. Can it be sanded or buffed out or will i need to apply filler and gel coat. Any help with the process is appreciated

 

[buckbuck]

@fairpilot That looks quite similar to what I had on mine. I ended up buying a qt of spectrum gel coat and repaired myself. I applied it in several coats and was not too concerned about appearance as it is difficult to see and I realized the bunks are going to continue to sand away at it due to power loading every time.

 

[FLBulldogger]

From what I can see it looks like the gelcoat is in need of some work but no damage to the fiberglass. I would use my thumb and push around to make sure there is no fiberglass damage just to be sure but I doubt the glass is damaged by the pic you posted. With that said I would start out cleaning the bottom off really well with a bottom cleaner then with some fine grit wet sandpaper (Try some 1500 and work out to about 1000/800 to get any scratches or gouges out if you have any. If you do then get some SPECTRUM gelcoat and do the repairs. Then find a good compounding wax I use a Meguiars kit (decent VIDEO here)that steps you up to polishing but Shurhold make a good just about all in one product called buffmagic. If you have a Dual action sander that will help but its going to be tough with you being under the boat, I know I've had to do this twice on a previous SX190. If you have a marina near by may be worth a call to see it you can get them to rent a spot and have them lift it and place on a stand so you can get the entire bottom. It's time consuming and a PIA but in the end it will help with appearance and performance.

 

[tdonoughue]

Yes, I agree this should be a pretty easy repair. But it will probably be a quart of the gelcoat. Using a sprayer will be the way to go. Check out some of the threads on here of the fiberglass repairs (I have a couple). Sand and clean that up and lay a few coats of the gelcoat. Yes, check for fiberglass damage, but I agree you very likely have none there.

Best part is, on the bottom of the boat, if it is a little wavy or dull--who cares?

 

[marcham]

1) Does it require re-application of gel coat? Can't say based on a picture. It depends on the depth of the damage and the thickness of the gel on that part of the boat.

2) Given that it's a 2006, and assuming the boat was primarily trailered, then most likely it's due for a refinishing. If it was only trailered once a year you probably can buff it out (or just leave it be...)

Ugly gelcoat is easy, well blended gelcoat is difficult. Adding to the challenge is how do you repair the area where the boat rests on the bunks while the boat is on the trailer??? This makes what could be a simple repair a little more complicated. A fiberglass shop would use a forklift to lift the boat and then support the hull appropriately with a craddle or adjustable posts. This step in itself requires some experience to avoid the posts moving and the boat ending up on the ground causing further damage.

If it were me, I'd pay the $1000-$2000 repair if a repair is required (if you have deep gouges exposing fiberglass).... if it's just surface surface marks and material transfer from the bunks I'd leave 'em be. Looking closely at the picture, I'd say you have some exposed fiberglass and are in need of a repair (can't tell for sure with a picture, would need a physical inspection). The re-application of gelcoat in itself is quick and does not require a lot of materials. What you are paying a pro for is the setup, prep and finish.

1) setup: place the boat securely on an appropriate work stand
2) prep: mask the entire boat & prep the repair area so that the new gelcoat forms a permanent bond
3) finish: by sanding between coats and going through a 2-3 stage buffing/polishing process afterwards, you can get an almost seamless blend of the new and old gelcoat. You can save a few bucks if you tell them you don't care about colour match. However, if you allow them to correct the oxidation on the hull and they match the colour, the repair can be virtually seamless from 5 feet away. You could also ask them to build up the thickness in that area if you are planning on keeping the boat.

Gelcoat can be applied with a brush or with a spray gun. Sometimes a combination of both is used (brush for deep repairs, spray gun for final blending). Results are dependant upon correct mix of catalist for the temp/humidity.

What's the condition of the rest of the boat? Is it worth investing $1000 to $2000 into it? If you just want to patch exposed fiberglass quickly and easily, MarineTex and some wet/dry sandpaper will do that without much hassle.

 

[fairpilot]

Man, thanks for all the replies. They are in the area that i figured i was going to be needed. The boat is a 2006 and is in really decent shape underneath. We never beach the boat so the bottom stayed pretty nice. The rest of the boat is in excellent shape. ( i have worked really hard to keep it nice). I figured i would clean the bottom up with some on/off hull cleaner, then sand it with some 1500 possibly 800 if needed and see how it looked. it does have some scratches but nothing deep and no glass damage. Would i need a filler for the scratches? or will couple coat of gelcoat fill light scratches
After that i would clean it good and wipe down with either acetone or do i need to use styrene? do i need to spray the the gelcoat or can i brush it. Not looking for factory finish just tired of looking at it. I have replaced bunks so problem is stopped for now.

 

[tdonoughue]

The Spectrum gelcoat is color matched, so you don't have to worry about that complexity. If you have no glass damage, it is only a matter of applying gelcoat. A Preval (sp?) sprayer is the way to go with that, but you can paint it on, too. I just think that the sprayer gives you a more uniform appearance and makes the sanding and finish easier. The gelcoat at that location (at least on the 2012's) is very thin -- I want to say on the order of 3-4mm. So it doesn't take much until you see glass. As long as the glass fibers are not broken, you are fine. No need for filler; the gelcoat is the filler. But you may want to even out the surface and then apply--that will give you a more even surface at the end.

For cleanup, best is acetone.

 

[fairpilot]

The Spectrum gelcoat is color matched, so you don't have to worry about that complexity. If you have no glass damage, it is only a matter of applying gelcoat. A Preval (sp?) sprayer is the way to go with that, but you can paint it on, too. I just think that the sprayer gives you a more uniform appearance and makes the sanding and finish easier. The gelcoat at that location (at least on the 2012's) is very thin -- I want to say on the order of 3-4mm. So it doesn't take much until you see glass. As long as the glass fibers are not broken, you are fine. No need for filler; the gelcoat is the filler. But you may want to even out the surface and then apply--that will give you a more even surface at the end.

For cleanup, best is acetone.

Thank you. I will be tackling this in next couple weeks. will follow up on how it goes.

 

[buckbuck]

Did my repair 3 years ago.

 

[tdonoughue]

Yes, that does remind me: the most difficult/dicey part will be doing the part currently sitting on a bunk board.

Real jack stands to lift the boat off the trailer properly are recommended, but expensive (basically, you lower the front as low as it will go--like put it on a jack and put it to the floor), put the stands under the rear, then jack up the front and put the front jack stands in place). If you can borrow a set, you are golden. If not, you are left with something like the lumber option above. Main concern is not putting too much stress on too small a place on the hull...

Alternatively, if you have a buddy with a sling lift... Yeah, a long shot.

 

[fairpilot]

nice job. may go have it priced before i go through all the headache and time. if over the top them i will give it a go.