Total Newbie needs help - Fiberglass

[sincraft]

Greetings all. I've done extensive searches for 'fiberglass repair' etc etc - and seem to come to nothing but websites riddled with 'buy our dvd' or redirect sites that have nothing but links on them and try to load your system with spyware <br />That said, I searched the forums here and am learning alot - but as a complete boat repair newbie..I am missing some of the most basic terminology (I am JUST NOW starting to understand what gelcoat is!)<br />That said - could someone provide GOOD links to fiberglass, fiberglass repair and how they pertain to boats?<br />If interested and if anyone wants to help, I am posting photos on a clients website (they dont mind) to show the issues I have.<br />In short:<br />The boat is a 1969 Starcrart Tri-Haul 15' Fishing boat that is a bit older than I. It has sat for the past 5 years in the cold and warmth - where even grass grew inside. I ran her around for a few years then life got ahead of me and now I am looking to get her back on the water asap. I cleaned much of the insides of the physical debris etc...but now have some questions about fiberglass repair and specifically how to repair the two most critical ones I see. <br />1. my through haul drain tube was sorta repaired when I purchased it long ago, but the gentleman before me, his repair did not hold up and is cracked badly underneath and all around. It looks like he just used a hardware store epoxy.<br />2. the rear of my boat where the engine mounts (is this called a transom?) is cracked with a small chip missing.<br /><br />I need to know what materials I need to repair this old girl, and the best methods to do so. I've read about poly and epoxy and gelcoats, and am still very confused as to WHAT to use, WHEN, and HOW. <br /><br />Here are the photos! Thanks for looking! <br /><br /> Rear Crack - Not seemingly through the Gelcoat? <br /><br /> Drainhole Fiasco <br /><br />This one is under the boat - the middle 'haul' and seems like some glass is showing but the guy before me coated over it with something shiny and see through that has changed the color of the gelcoat to brownish. Should I sand this , glass it and ?????<br /> Gel like substance (which I thought was gelcoat but realize it was just....dunno) <br /><br />Any help you can lend, I would appreciate it!<br /><br />S

 

[tengals123]

Re: Total Newbie needs help - Fiberglass

WOW! what a project. By the looks of the pics, ur going to need a full rebuild including a new transom. I'm taking bets the whole thing is rotted out. If the motor is ok, i'd maybe look for a new hull. Check my thread below, I am currently doing a full restoration/rebuild. new floor etc, my transom was fine, but yours will prolly need replacing.<br /><br />cheers

 

[sincraft]

Re: Total Newbie needs help - Fiberglass

Here is another photo as seen through an inspection port...this is prior to a tilt so there is water in there. Water sat in there for over a year unfortunately... <br /><br />The floor is very solid, no flexing or bowing...everything seems to be 'as it was' when I first got it..<br /><br /> inspection port view...

 

[sincraft]

Re: Total Newbie needs help - Fiberglass

seriously!??! That seems a BIT more ambitious than I was willing to get into. I would sooner abandon boating till the $$ gets thicker and get something different before I did all of that.<br /><br />I was thinking of just getting it running to fish from, not meant to be a show boat or a ski boat...only has a 9.9 motor on it. Everything you see is pretty much as it was when I ran it without problem for several years, except for the gelcoat crack in the back and the drain tube. I had one 'expert in the field' already tell me that I should take care of the drain tube - then chop away at the crack to see how deep it goes and build it up ...but it wasn't critical because it was under water nor was it a 'spreading' damage..it was a damage caused by impact (baseball)<br /><br />S

 

[Mark42]

Re: Total Newbie needs help - Fiberglass

First do some research on how that exact model and year the Starcraft was constructed. If its all fiberglass stringers/supports inside, then drain it and fix the transom. <br /><br />Otherwise, it looks to be a big major overhaul to make it safe. Few boats are built without wood stringers and plywood core transom. The transom cracks can be from freezing water in winter, or just weak from rotting inside. Either way it cannot be safely patched.<br /><br />Regarding the solid floors, lots of folks here felt they had solid floors but when fixing one small soft spot it turn out the whole floor is shot. Not uncommon I'm afraid.<br /><br />Look around for a boat minus motor in better condition if you want to use it this year.

 

[tengals123]

Re: Total Newbie needs help - Fiberglass

I know it not what you want to hear, but it could be true. Either way, start cutting your transom, as see how bad/far the rot goes in.<br /><br />cheers

 

[sincraft]

Re: Total Newbie needs help - Fiberglass

When I look in throught the inspection holes, it seems like I am touching the floor when I tap at it and have someone look below. The entire boat seems to be made up of constnatly looping 'curtain' like woven roven. The floor IS solid, trust me - Im not fat but I do weigh over 200 and jumped up and down on it to the point that a friend thought I was purposely trying to break it - which I was! <br />Like I said, I have no idea how to test the transom other than to 'break on through to the other side!'. Best place would be where the cracks are and maybe drill an inspection hole toward the bottom while I am 'thinking' of repairing the draintube? <br /><br />Btw - how would one find out what the boat is and how it was constructed? All I do know is the hull id number, the year it is (1969) and the make (starcraft) - it is a trihaul.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Total Newbie needs help - Fiberglass

the transom photo looks like there is more gel coat or filler under some fairly thick gel coat, if this was a cosmetic repair done only to the gel coat, maybe at the factory, it may not be a big problem.<br /><br />Some boat companies have in the past, done cosmetic repairs by just filling the deffective area with some kind of filler (gel coat putty), then just sraying over it with gel coat and finishing the repair. A repair done like this will not hold up very long, the thick layer of putty will crack and start to chip off. If epoxy was used to make the repair, then the gel coat may not be bonding well to it, this is common. The transom can still be in good condition even if the cosmetic repair is failing, but you will still need to check it.<br /><br />The "brown stuff" on the hull is just resin painted on to try and seal over areas of exposed glass. From the photo it doesn't look like a problem.<br />The inspection port looked odd, almost like there had been wood between the 2 sections of fiberglass, but it is gone now. With that amount of water in there, I think you will find rotten wood and possibly water logged foam, lots of work.<br /><br />You can get a new drain plug tube at a marine supply store, they should be able to set you up with the correct epoxy to install it with.<br /><br />Your hull "might" be OK, if you can't tell, take it someplace and have them take a look at it.<br />If it's bad and you don't want a big project, just find another hull, it is faster and normally less money. just make sure there is no rotten wood in the new one.

 

[sincraft]

Re: Total Newbie needs help - Fiberglass

Unfortunately I am at work and can't post additional photos as they aren't on me. I do however have another two inspection ports - one further down in the middle where I can see a bit more...and another on the 'side' where the battery box is strapped to. Like I said, it just looks like roven woven (fabric?) glass all througout the bottom of the boat. In the front of the boat, there was a little storage area that the plywood rotted out. The Plywood was only on the front portion and under..the rest of the box was built leaving the 'true' floor exposed which again is roven woven. <br />The ship looks to be made of nothing but fiberglass..is that possible? Until I started looking into this, I thought they all were made up of this and when I saw people talking about wood and foam I wondered what they were talking about as I dont seem to have stuff like that in my boat.<br /><br />What is the best way to find out? Cut another inspection port NOT in the middle of the boat like the other 2? <br />How about the transom, should I cut a hole where the repair is needed to do inspection, or there and another spot (say below water line).<br /><br />The engine is on it now, and has absolutely very little flex when you rock teh engine. There is NO bowing - it's as straight as a new board (or better hehe)<br /><br />I guess my biggest questions is, where should I start? I probabyl shouldnt buy mat, epoxy or poly etc etc until I see what's what correct?

 

[tengals123]

Re: Total Newbie needs help - Fiberglass

your right, don't buy anything untill you decide what your going to do with the boat. Firstly grab a soild rubber mallet and bang hard all over the transom. Listen for dull, deeper or varing sounds, these usually indicate rot. Your mallet should fling back at you after you hit the transom, with a nice bang/soild sound. This indicated the transom is ok. By no means is this a proper way of checking. I guess if you want to check properly, you could drill5-6 small inspection holes over the transom and see how you go. They can always be filled. As far as the hull is concerned, you might not have wooden stringers if so it's better for you. A ply section you mentioned rotted out, if this is the case, most likely any ply in the boat will be rotted, including your floor. My floor was solid to, I ripped it to find, it wet and rotted 80 thru. I'm sure it would'nt have lasted to much longer. Really, the decision is yours, The only compolsury concern you should have is saftey. If it's safe, iT'S GOOD TO GO.<br /><br /><br />CHEERS

 

[sincraft]

Re: Total Newbie needs help - Fiberglass

Ok more photo's <br /><br /> Is this a view of the 'transom'? <br /><br /> Rotted storage area - water would get in from the rain and stay there.. <br /><br />Another view port , where the battery normally sits over..to the right is the well where the bilge normally sits and of course the drain tube. <br /><br /> The boat.. <br /><br /> The 'shelf' and transom (somewhat) view...

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Total Newbie needs help - Fiberglass

Some small boats like these have little or no wood in them except in the transom. If this is the case, then you are much better off. <br />Dig into the crack in the transom and chip off some of the gel coat to see what is under it, in the photo it didn't look like wood. Then go inside the boat and check it from the inside, Like tengals said, you may need to drill some holes to see if there is rotten wood in it, you may need to drill some holes in the floor also. Don't worry about the holes, they can easily be filled with epoxy. Use a mirror and flashlight to inspect inside the view ports, looking for more wood.