Lady renovating boat please help

[boaterlady]

Ok, sanding now and there is like NO dust. This is awesome. Honestly no need for the suit. Also, things look better than I thought will show pics

 

[boaterlady]

No Title

latest pics. Is the goal just to get it smoothed down? If you can see from my photos and tell me what is what please as I do not know? Is the white gelcoat?? I sanded off the top layer of white and that was underneath. I need to know what I need to sand off please help. Thanks


btw I lied about the dust. It got going all right so I suited up and stayed that way

 

[boaterlady]

30 photos now, lots of angles and shots to look at, will get to inside soon enough. What more do I need to post? Trying to get this done. Pictures still not enough? Patiently waiting for responses. Thanks

 

[gm280]

30 photos now, lots of angles and shots to look at, will get to inside soon enough. What more do I need to post? Trying to get this done. Pictures still not enough? Patiently waiting for responses. Thanks

I looked over all the new pictures. Seems you already sanded some areas and did remove some of the suspect material as well. Depending on how low the suspect areas are now, you may need to go back with some CSM material and poly mix first. What are you planing to use for the repairs, epoxy or polyester? Most go with polyester so they can then use Gel Coat for the final finish coating. If you go epoxy, you will have to paint and not use gel coat.

So figure out what you want to use and then we can go through the typical procedures for repairing those lower areas back to a level surface for sanding out to a smooth finish. Polyester would be my choice and I would get some CSM and lay a layer of poly soaked CSM into the low areas. Once the cured, I would then nix up some PB. PB is short for Peanut Butter, and that is what we on these forum call Polyester Resin, Cabosil, Chopped Stand 1/4" Fiberglass Stands, and of course the MEKP (Methyl Ethyl Keytone Peroxide). The MEKP is the typical hardener used with Polyester Resin and comes with it when ordering.

I am sure others will chime in with other ideas and suggestions and then you can decide what you want to do. Once you get the suspect areas repaired, You will need to sand the entire surface in prep for gel coat or paint, whatever you are going with.

I would certainly read and see some other repair threads on these forums to get an idea how to repair and fill in voids and cracks in fiberglass. It is better to see pictures of such repairs then try to explain them with just verbiage. JMHO

 

[kcassells]

Yep and thanks for all the great new pics. Sure does help with the exterior perspectives. I would like to recommend to quietly walk away from the exterior work at this time. I know it's hard...cause you want that boat to look pretty. That's the sugar. The real work is the inside, decking, stringers, structural components. Not pretty but very necessary...first.
That being said, pics and more pics and all the questions you have. You'll even find that the structural {boring stuff} will tie into the outside cosmetic work. There all related. Would hate to see you do all the exterior only to find out you need to chop out something to make a proper repair.
I hope this helps with your direction. Were all pushing for ya!
Actually a very cool boat! Lady! A project says I.

 

[DeepBlue2010]

One way to find out if you are dealing with paint or gelcoat is to soak a rag or shop towel with Acetone and put it on the surface; if the top coat starts to wrinkle, it is paint and if it wasn't affected at all, it is gel.

You might want to try in an inconspicuous are if you just want to know the nature of the material; but If it will be sanded off or stripped anyway, it doesn't matter.

The hull is divided into two logical sections, above and below the water line. What is your plan for both?

For example, are you planning on bottom painting the below water line section with anti fouling paint? If so, don't spend much time on filling and fairing. I mean do it but don't be so crazy about getting it into a perfect shape with low spots and high spots, etc. Bottom paint is so much more forgiving and thicker than regular top coats. Unless fish learn to criticize paint jobs, no one will notice it. Again, this doesn't mean don't fill it or prep it, just don't be so critical about it.

Above water line is different story. Prepping here is every thing. What is your plan for this section? What type of paint you decided to use?

 

[garbageguy]

+++1 on what kcassells said in post 45. Structure first, then cosmetics. Cool boat!

 

[DeepBlue2010]

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[boaterlady]

I have a gallon of epoxy I would like to use and then paint over gel. Ill say again, she looks ok inside I think, there are some wood seating areas we would like to replace when need be but I should point out this is not the boat we will have for ten years. This is a practice boat to enjoy for maybe 3. The goal is to learn to sail, learn about sailing boats and repair so in 3 years we will sell the house and buy a bigger one to sail to Australia, my homeland. I do not wish to spend thousands more gutting her. I would also like to get her going asap and fix more things as we go along. The foam covered beams in the front part I can see and they seem ok, Am i expected to rip up the whole floor to see everything? That seems overwhelming. What should I look for? That maybe easier.

 

[DeepBlue2010]

I have a gallon of epoxy I would like to use and then paint over gel.

Ill say again, she looks ok inside I think, there are some wood seating areas we would like to replace when need be but I should point out this is not the boat we will have for ten years. This is a practice boat to enjoy for maybe 3.

The goal is to learn to sail, learn about sailing boats and repair so in 3 years we will sell the house and buy a bigger one to sail to Australia, my homeland. I do not wish to spend thousands more gutting her. I would also like to get her going asap and fix more things as we go along. The foam covered beams in the front part I can see and they seem ok, Am i expected to rip up the whole floor to see everything? That seems overwhelming. What should I look for? That maybe easier.

Of course not. The most important structural elements on your boat are the transom, stringers and bulkheads. You can core sample each one to see if you have any rot started on the wood or not.

Core sampling is the process of drilling small holes (1/4 inch drill bit with a depth indicator set at 1/2-3/4 inch deep) in different locations of those elements and inspect the shavings. If the wood shavings are gold color and dry, it is good core. If dark, black and wet, the rot is started or about to.

The transom is most likely wood core. You drill near bottom of it from inside the boat not outside. One hole on each side and one in the middle would suffice. The stringers are not all wood. Some of them are hallow or foam filled. So if your drill doesn't find any wood, don't press the panic button just yet.

I personally don't use a 1/4 inch drill bit. I use a hole saw and drill just enough to cut the fiberglass skin which I pry out and take a look under it to see what I am dealing with.

In either methods, you fill the hole with 3M 5200 after you done.

 

[boaterlady]

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[boaterlady]

deep blue you are so helpful thanks!!!!!!!!!!! and others too but he gets an honorable mention. In regards to painting since you asked, I want to use blue water signal yellow. Then a black strip on top, black bottom paint. I will post a photo of another boat like mine.

 

[boaterlady]

No Title

 

[DeepBlue2010]

deep blue you are so helpful thanks!!!!!!!!!!! and others too but he gets an honorable mention. In regards to painting since you asked, I want to use blue water signal yellow. Then a black strip on top, black bottom paint. I will post a photo of another boat like mine.

Thanks!

When you said "I have a gallon of epoxy I would like to use and then paint over gel" what did you mean by that? First, were you referring to the hull or the bottom section? And, is it an Epoxy resin or Epoxy paint? If it is resin, what you want to use it for?

For the bottom paint, read this article by Don Casey and watch the video also.

http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey...ttom-paint.asp




where is this part of the boat, can you take a picture to show its location in the vessel? Do you know what is the material used for the patch?

 

[boaterlady]

No Title

 

[boaterlady]

I don't know what they used but it's in the cupboard in the galley underneath the counter top and sink area.

 

[boaterlady]

This is the same boat online, that section you refer to is straight under the sink down bottom to the right inside.

 

[boaterlady]

I was thinking I can use the epoxy resin on the gelcoat and it says fibreglass as well, sand and paint over it. There are some spots where the gelcoat is thinner so you can see fibreglass under it and has scratches etc. My thought was filling and making those spots even to the gel coat with the epoxy resin.

 

[DeepBlue2010]

I was thinking I can use the epoxy resin on the gelcoat and it says fibreglass as well, sand and paint over it. There are some spots where the gelcoat is thinner so you can see fibreglass under it and has scratches etc. My thought was filling and making those spots even to the gel coat with the epoxy resin.

No, Epoxy is not a filler, at least not by itself. You need to add a microballon product such as West Systems 410 or 407 to make a filler out of it.

How old is this Epoxy? Did you buy it recently or found in the garage somewhere with no knowledge of how old it is?

Personally, I would not waste good epoxy for this purpose. You will sure find a much more suitable use for it inside the boat like sealing wood or glassing a structural element. Of course if you don't have a better use for it AND it is still good and usable epoxy, go ahead and make a filler out of it; better than not using at all.

 

[boaterlady]

My stuff is all brand new, bought a gallon of epoxy for this.....ah newbie mistake lol. Be more expensive to ship back and buy something else. I will add that product you suggested. cheers

My boyfriend also had a good point. There should not be too much rot being this is Vegas and a dry climate. The boat was also dry docked for some time and not left in the water in the last how many years, fresh water may be better than salt too but what do I know. Thanks again. And BTW sanding SUCKS. But like the results

I want to use Total Boat Wet Edge to paint.