My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

Hi, I am new to this forum but had a few questions about a boat I just purchased. It is an 18ft Seadoo Jet boat. Previous owner slammed it into some rocks and punctured the hull on the keel. The damage is about 3 ft long and 1 ft wide. Pictures are attached. He did not have the money, time, or effort to do the repairs so he sold it for real cheap. I have a working knowledge of laying fiberglass, but was wondering what the best way to go about repairing it would be. The problem will be getting the shape of the hull back. I can only work from the outside. There is no access from the inside. My idea was to use an 8lb or 16lb closed cell expanding pour foam to get the shape of the hull back by shaping, and sanding it similar to making a surfboard. This will also give it some strength. Once this process is complete I will build the glass back up using s-glass for it's strength properties, before finishing with gelcoat. It might not be the most attractive repair, but will this work?

Sorry for the long post...

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

Welcome to iBoats!

Do you have any way to flip her? I'm no Pro but that is some major structural damage and I don't think just adding foam is going to be sufficient. Can you post some pics of the over all boat? Working on it from just the outside, prolly is not going to get the job done. JMHO.

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

Working on it from just the outside, prolly is not going to get the job done. JMHO.

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Ayuh,.... Ditto that,.... That hull is Junk...

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

Woodonglass said:

Welcome to iBoats!

Do you have any way to flip her? I'm no Pro but that is some major structural damage and I don't think just adding foam is going to be sufficient. Can you post some pics of the over all boat? Working on it from just the outside, prolly is not going to get the job done. JMHO.

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Yes I will be flipping it. I've researched the foam. It has a structural strength of 750 psi(litterally as hard as rock) combined with the glass should more than be strong enough. I'm no pro either, but the only disadvantage I thought of working from the outside is that the form is harder to achieve, and it won't look as pretty. The foam will take care of the form, and I'm not concerned with looks. Just don't want it to sink.

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

tiddy82 said:

Yes I will be flipping it. I've researched the foam. It has a structural strength of 750 psi(litterally as hard as rock) combined with the glass should more than be strong enough. I'm no pro either, but the only disadvantage I thought of working from the outside is that the form is harder to achieve, and it won't look as pretty. The foam will take care of the form, and I'm not concerned with looks. Just don't want it to sink.

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Were is the boat ?? All I see is a huge hole with nothing there..

I doubt your ever going to get a post here that would recommend anything other then a Chainsaw.

Its a balsa core first off..so your going to be ripping/tearing the liner out if you ever tried to do this somewhat satisfactory ..

YD.

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

Bond-o said:

Ayuh,.... Ditto that,.... That hull is Junk...

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Maybe find another one that needs an engine and swap your engine etc into that one? I do see those with listed for sale with bad engines from time to time....Just a thought.

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

can it be done? sure....but your idea is flawed...there is more to the structure than just the glass...you would need to remove the cap, the deck and clean all of that out, then do an inside out repair...If oops can cut his boat in half, you can fix it...but the key is doing it right. It is not about appearances, it is about the safety of the vessel....I would assume that guy's insurance wrote that off and gave him a check as it was totaled, so be sure to check on the title work, as well. I agree with others about finding a new hull and transplanting the motor though!

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

JDA1975 said:

can it be done? sure....but your idea is flawed...there is more to the structure than just the glass...you would need to remove the cap, the deck and clean all of that out, then do an inside out repair...If oops can cut his boat in half, you can fix it...but the key is doing it right. It is not about appearances, it is about the safety of the vessel....I would assume that guy's insurance wrote that off and gave him a check as it was totaled, so be sure to check on the title work, as well. I agree with others about finding a new hull and transplanting the motor though!

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I agree that safety is most important and I want to do it right with what I have to work with. I have looked and there are no hulls available anywhere. The motors in these boats are very reliable so its rare to see anything "salvage." Can you elaborate on what you are saying here in regards to cleaning it all out? Again, I only have access from the outside. My idea is that the strength of the foam would replace the balsa core and according to the specs on this foam, it is very water resistant before you even put glass and gelcoat over it. Much better than the balsa which is like a sponge. I was even thinking of adding an additional layer of carbon fiber somewhere in the mix to add even more strength.

I respect everyone's opinion on here and welcome any more input. The way I see it, I don't really have much to lose. I got the boat for next to nothing and the only other cost would be the supplies needed to do it. If the idea does not work, I can probably piece out the boat and make money, but if it does work, I'm going to have a very fun boat for a fraction of the cost, which is really my intention.

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

The cap has to come off to do it right. The entire inside needs to be tied to the stringers and keel. Just doing the outside will give you a very weak hull, and not one I would take in more than about 18 inches of water. And you have a lot to lose if you are zipping along at 40MPH in your cheap new boat and the hull suffers catastrophic failure.

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

what I meant by clean it all out is there are broken stringers and such in there as well...by removing the cap and deck, you can remove damaged parts of the stringers, create a solid working surface for your new glass...removing the damage structure inside and rebuilding will ensure its structurally sound. then once its all cleaned up, build a form along the keel that represents what you want to achieve for lines. using a release agent or plastic sheeting between form and your new glass, form the inside, then flip the hull and repair from the outside...fair it all in and gelcoat/paint. Take a look at the hull extension thread, it will give you a good idea of how to create your shape, if he can add 5 feet, you can surely repair a hole. Just do it right and it will be stronger than it was before

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

JDA1975 said:

what I meant by clean it all out is there are broken stringers and such in there as well...by removing the cap and deck, you can remove damaged parts of the stringers, create a solid working surface for your new glass...removing the damage structure inside and rebuilding will ensure its structurally sound. then once its all cleaned up, build a form along the keel that represents what you want to achieve for lines. using a release agent or plastic sheeting between form and your new glass, form the inside, then flip the hull and repair from the outside...fair it all in and gelcoat/paint. Take a look at the hull extension thread, it will give you a good idea of how to create your shape, if he can add 5 feet, you can surely repair a hole. Just do it right and it will be stronger than it was before

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Awesome! Looks like a good thread. I appreciate the info!

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

tiddy82 said:

Awesome! Looks like a good thread. I appreciate the info!

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Ayuh,... You've gotta get past the "I can only get to the outside" line of thought....

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

Bond-o said:

Ayuh,... You've gotta get past the "I can only get to the outside" line of thought....

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It's more of the "I don't want to cut into what is still good" line of thought...... but in all seriousness, I know it has to be done right to hold up. Actually the more I look at it, I think I can access all the damage by removing the door to the ski locker. Might be a little tight working space, but all the damage is right below it, and it would prevent me from having to pull out the chainsaw....

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

tiddy82 said:

It's more of the "I don't want to cut into what is still good" line of thought

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tiddy82 said:

I agree that safety is most important and I want to do it right...
The way I see it, I don't really have much to lose. ... but if it does work, I'm going to have a very fun boat for a fraction of the cost

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Howdy tiddy82,

Welcome to the Iboats drydock...this IS the best place on the web for anything boat related...

I just want to pop in here and sound like a parrot...

Get another hull or do this one the right way...

To mimic some of your own words...From the couple of pics you have posted, there is nothing good left of that hull, so cutting into what is still good is not even an excuse...the entire structure of the boat is the hull, stringers, bulkheads and transom, if they have been compromised, which is what it looks like, there is nothing good left...Safety IS IMPORTANT! and You do have a lot to lose! A fun boat is a safe boat...

If you are out by yourself and something unforeseen happens, you might get lucky and end up having a really bad day, end up being rescued, or you could end up in Davy Jones' Locker...If you have friends and Family out there with you, you are responsible for their safe return...and to have fun, you need to have a reliable, safe boat...

Quick, down and dirty repairs are what you do to get out of trouble and back to a safe place, not something to do to get into trouble...

Knowing something about fiberglass and being a Marine Engineer are two completely different things...don't fool yourself into believing you are the latter...while foam is used as a structural part of some boats, they are engineered that way.

I do not want to sound abrasive or abusive, but we here on the forum would like to see, hear and help others to successful, safe and long lasting restored boats. We believe in trying to do things the right way and Band-aid type fixes are not well recieved.

I only hope that you make the right choice in whether or not to do it right or don't do it at all...

Best regards,
GT1M

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

Thanks GT1M for your input. I am not going to be doing a "band aid" fix. I have never done a job this extensive before and was simply asking for input on what the best way to go about it would be, and seeing if I was on the right track with my idea before I start tearing into it.

I did some more research and it appears that Sea Doo jet boats use an "inactive" stringer type system. It is comprised of a hollow fiberglass stringer system which is filled with high desity foam rather than wood covered in glass. Does anyone have experience with this type of construction that could give me advice on the best way to repair those stringers? I was thinking that cutting away the damaged part of the stringer and reglassing it. Once this has curred, I wll drill a small hole and pour some expanding foam into the hole to refill the void inside. Am I on the right track?

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

I dont have a clue where you live, however when I was in Florida, we found jet boats everywhere that people let go to heck. motors, drives, and interiors were always bad. hulls were good.

found these in under 20 seconds using searchtempest.com

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAP...262+&item=120856628262&lgeo=1&vectorid=229466

http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/boa/2972772324.html

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

tiddy82 said:

Thanks GT1M for your input. I am not going to be doing a "band aid" fix. I have never done a job this extensive before and was simply asking for input on what the best way to go about it would be, and seeing if I was on the right track with my idea before I start tearing into it.

I did some more research and it appears that Sea Doo jet boats use an "inactive" stringer type system. It is comprised of a hollow fiberglass stringer system which is filled with high desity foam rather than wood covered in glass. Does anyone have experience with this type of construction that could give me advice on the best way to repair those stringers? I was thinking that cutting away the damaged part of the stringer and reglassing it. Once this has curred, I wll drill a small hole and pour some expanding foam into the hole to refill the void inside. Am I on the right track?

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That hull is TRASHED !!

IMHO..move on..

YD.

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

Scott Danforth said:

I dont have a clue where you live, however when I was in Florida, we found jet boats everywhere that people let go to heck. motors, drives, and interiors were always bad. hulls were good.

found these in under 20 seconds using searchtempest.com

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAP...262+&item=120856628262&lgeo=1&vectorid=229466

http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/boa/2972772324.html

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I live in Maine. No hulls available here. This is a Sea Doo Speedster 160. Even harder to find a hull on one of these. Trust me, I've checked. Let me know if someone knows where there is one.

Re: My idea to fix hull damage.... will it work??

keep watching checking thru searchtempest to scan ebay and craigslist. I would also run an add in the florida craigslists looking for one after the next hurricane