Storm Damage

[DestinyEscape]

I live in Raleigh, NC and during this winter we had a severe ice storm that brought trees down everywhere. Well, as luck would have it, my boat got hit by a large branch, which put a hole through the deck floor. I have an 18' Marada Fish/Ski Boat. The floor appears to be composed of a fiberglass/wood combination. The hole is near the stern, about 6" up from the bench seat that seperates the engine compartment. It is about 3" in diameter. I was thinking of just screwing a stainless steel plate into the floor. I am in the process of removing most of the interior to accomodate the new carpeting I plan to install. Any thoughts? I have never worked with fiberglass before, and would rather not. Also, some smaller limbs on this branch put some holes in the swivel chairs for the captain and passenger. About three or four holes total for the two seats. They are all about a 1/2" to an 1" in diamater, although there is one gash about 2" long. I was wondering if anyone had any past experiences with vinyl repair kits. I really would like to have it look good, so I am debating installing brand new factory seats. I did make out pretty well with the insurance company, so I really don't mind buying the seats if the vinyl will not look good when patched. Any help would be appreciated. Keep up the great forum guys.

 

[6MISFITZ]

Re: Storm Damage

If the hole is a through and through, then I would get a professional opinion and quote from a respectable marina or boat repair shop for the fix to the hull first. <br />They can check for any hidden structural damage that you might overlook. If they say it is repairable then investigate doing it yourself. <br />Price the seat for recovering vs repairing or replacing, you might find that easier to the pocket book and it would look like factory seats if both recovered.<br /><br />Mike.

 

[DestinyEscape]

Re: Storm Damage

Thanks for the reply Mike.<br /><br />I had a professional fiberglass shop look into the repairs for the insurance company. They estimated $750 to fix the damage which would involve re-laying the deck wood and re-doing the fiberglass in the area. A friend of mine owns Swan Point Marina in North Carolina and suggested the stainless steel plate instead, so I think that I will probably go with that option.<br /><br />I appreciate the advise on repairing the seats as well, I hadn't thought of calling a re-upholstery shop to estimate the repairs. I think that I will give it a shot.<br /><br />Thanks again.<br /><br />CP

 

[6MISFITZ]

Re: Storm Damage

I do like the idea of a stainless steel plate. Something that will withstand the test of time and salt water. If you can see any exposed wood below the deck, try to seal it with epoxy resin FIRST so that moisture will not rot anything from within. <br />Mike.

 

[DestinyEscape]

Re: Storm Damage

Mike,<br /><br />Good idea to coat the deck wood with resin. I had been trying to decide if the exposed wood was going to rot or not. I have taken a jigsaw and made the hole cleaner so that the edges were not so jagged, and sanded it down nicely. The exposed edges though are fresh wood, while everything else has a fiberglass coating. It kind of worried me.<br /><br />What would you reccommend using? Boater's World had at least ten different kinds of epoxies and resins. I would prefer not to use fiberglass.

 

[Kenbo]

Re: Storm Damage

Perhaps you might consider a deck plate type inspection port if the hole is not too big. That way it is sealed, (these things come with an o-ring seal) and it has a neat appearance. Not to mention having tha ability to inspect between the hull and floor for leakage etc. See pg 142 in the boaters world 2002 catalog. You will have to seal the plywood deck core to prevent water potentially causing rot, but it might be an option. Good luck!

 

[DestinyEscape]

Re: Storm Damage

Kenbo,<br /><br />Thanks for the reply. I wanted to use a deck plate (the circular screw out kind) and I had even picked one up. Unfortunately, under further investigation, the hole in the deck is right near the back of my ski compartment, so there was no way to install it and have it cover the hole completely. What would you reccommend using to seal the wood around the hole?

 

[Kenbo]

Re: Storm Damage

DE, What I would do is sand the area smooth first and then paint the edge and exposed surfaces of the plywood with polyester resin and allow it to cure. This will help seal the wood. Next I would lightly sand the cured resin areas. Some resins can contain wax additives. Try to avoid sanding through the resin coat, just enough to take off the gloss and wax (if any) so that you get a good bond. Then I would fiberglass over the area. I suspect that you are not looking for strength here, just looking to seal the deck core. Chopped strand mat will do the job nicely for this purpose and it bonds to wood well. Good Luck!!

 

[DestinyEscape]

Re: Storm Damage

Kenbo,<br /><br />Thanks for the suggestion on sealing the wood. I have made a pretty major change in plans in terms of my renovation. I have been reading a lot of previous threads on the site the last day or two, and have seen some people using roll on bed liner to coat the interior of there vessels. I think that this is an excellent idea, as I am not thrilled with the idea of putting carpet back down that is only going to start deteriorating again. <br /><br />I have done some research and the only do-it-yourself bed liner kit seems to be "Herculiner." Granted I have not spent very much time looking into it yet, so if anyone is aware of another brand, please let me know. Herculiner only comes in three colors (black, red and grey), none of which is all that appealing to me. I am also wondering if it is possible to paint over the liner. Anyway, I just couldn't bring myself to re-carpet it. I just got all of the carpet out last night, and realized just how difficult it would be to get the carpet back in. I pulled ALL of the carpet out. Even what was up under the bow area. I don't see any feasible way to reinstall carpet in that area due to the confined space without leaving much to be desired aesthetically.<br /><br />I have read several past threads about doing carpet work, but it does not seem like anyone ever discusses how it went or what problems/solutions they had. This change in direction does eliminate the possibility of using a steel plate, so I will have to make the repair using fiberglass. I'm too afraid that the plate's outline would be visible.

 

[6MISFITZ]

Re: Storm Damage

DestinyEscape - Are you going to rip out the entire carpet and then herculiner the deck?<br />If you do go this route, please post a comment on how it turned out.<br />Thanks, <br />Mike.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Storm Damage

What do you want to know about carpet?<br /> First things first. If you think there is a possibility of you redoing the carpet "DO NOT THROW AWAY THE CARPET YOU TOOK OUT". You will need it to trace out the new pieces. You just make them a little bigger for trimming. A lot easier then trying to handle a 12' piece carpet in a small space. Home Depot or Lowe's carry a bunch of colors of outdoor (not commercial) carpet that's made to get wet. Use a outdoor adhesive spread on with a trowel.<br /> As for the hole. I would at least put some sort of backing in the bottom of the hole and fill it with fiberglass resin and layers of matting. To easy not to do. For that matter you could over fill it a little bit. Wait for it to dry,sand and color it with a kit you can get from U/S Boat.