Can I stand my boat on its side?

[coulombemr]

I have a 14.5ft fiber glass boat. The whole boat probably weighs 400-500 lbs. I'd like to repair some spots underneath (fibreglass and gel coat), but need to flip the boat over. Due to my location, its not easy for me to get enough friends around to pick the boat up and attempt to flip it. What I am wondering is if it can be rolled without damage to the one side left in contact with the ground? It would bear the weight of the boat on its own for a brief period, and then I'm hoping myself +1 could just ease it back down. Getting the boat off the trailer and back on isn't a problem and I've accomplished on my own before.
I just really have no sense as to how strong fiberglass would be. I've included some photos to show you the structure of the boat. I'm sure the interior flat bottom and center bench seat all would help add rigidity and strength to the sides.

While I'm posting I'll ask my repair questions as well, but I do plan to look further to see if this has been discussed:
1) I was planning on using a bondo resin repair kit with fibreglass mats but I've also noticed they make a resin/straw mixture, where a mat would not be required. Anyone have any experience with these?
2) The main place that needs repairing is in front of the second center roller; someone recommended after the repair, that I apply a layer of truck bed liner from there up to the front (in the middle), to protect it further. Thoughts?

 

[MTboatguy]

I think one problem you will probaly run into is the side your roll up on will end up with cracks in the gel coat on that side, you will be putting a good amount of strain on unsupported fiberglass that is really not all that thick and it is not that strong in that type of situation.

Also, bedliner and boats are not really compatible products.

 

[coulombemr]

I think one problem you will probaly run into is the side your roll up on will end up with cracks in the gel coat on that side, you will be putting a good amount of strain on unsupported fiberglass that is really not all that thick and it is not that strong in that type of situation.

Also, bedliner and boats are not really compatible products.

You've confirmed what I suspected about rolling it. Is there another option that I'm not considering?
What about a roll from front to back? What I'm envisioning is finding a spot where I can have a high enough pulley, run a winch through pulley, to the front of the boat, with the winch at the back side (far enough to flip boat). Pull boat up, so it stands on the transom, and then lower it down. I guess my only hope here is that the transom strength would prevent the cracking because there would be little to no flex?

 

[Woodonglass]

You can roll it on its side with no issues, IF you do the following. Cut 2x6 pieces that will fit across the beam of the boat and then use nylon tie down straps to encompass the boat and keep the boards in place during the roll. I have a 15' closed bow old boat and my two 20 year old nephews rolled it totally over in 5 minutes. They are NOT that heavy.

Take some pics of the damaged area once you get her rolled up and we can help with how to repair.

 

[tpenfield]

The fact that the mid-seat goes across the boat is beneficial and will provide good support. Still a simple roll-over on its side will probably put enough force on the rubrail to cause some gelcoat cracking.

You will want to use some other methods to distribute the weight away from the rubrail area.

 

[ab59]

Take some old carpet and lay it underneath the boat. Take one cherry picker with the boom extended out to max safe length. connect said cherry picker to the bow eye and lift the hull until only the transom will touch the ground . with carpet laying underneath the transom area and anywhere the boat may come into contact with the ground , simply roll the trailer out from under the boat , roll the boat over and then use the cherry picker to ease it down onto your supports. LET THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE TRANSOM REST ON THE CARPET , DO NOT ATTEMPT TO HANG THE ENTIRE WEIHT OF THE BOAT ON THE CHERRY PICKER. I used pallets that I cut in half and used them under the hull part of the boat and did not set the gunnels on anything and used the deck and pallets to support the weight of the boat.
While mine was a 16 ft. Ski Barge , this method worked great for me. I prepped for and shot my gel coat in this way.

 

[mickyryan]

I think one problem you will probaly run into is the side your roll up on will end up with cracks in the gel coat on that side, you will be putting a good amount of strain on unsupported fiberglass that is really not all that thick and it is not that strong in that type of situation.

Also, bedliner and boats are not really compatible products.

not true bedliner product has been used on boats for years about 15 if i recall ,

 

[MTboatguy]

not true bedliner product has been used on boats for years about 15 if i recall ,

That is fine, bedliner gets used on all kinds of stuff it is not recommended for, some with success, many without success. A lot of us have been doing this boat thing for years and seen quite a bit of stuff that people thought would work and it didn't, you go a head and use bedliner, I won't and I won't recommend it to anyone. Especially on a fiberglass boat.

 

[mickyryan]

That is fine, bedliner gets used on all kinds of stuff it is not recommended for, some with success, many without success. A lot of us have been doing this boat thing for years and seen quite a bit of stuff that people thought would work and it didn't, you go a head and use bedliner, I won't and I won't recommend it to anyone. Especially on a fiberglass boat.

urethane bed liner material is no different then urethane paint except for fact its a thicker mix , would i use cheap rubber bed liner material , of course not but line x, raptor and a few other urethane/poly bed liner kits are great for boats even boat bottoms for protection against wearing out your glass.

 

[MTboatguy]

urethane bed liner material is no different then urethane paint except for fact its a thicker mix , would i use cheap rubber bed liner material , of course not but line x, raptor and a few other urethane/poly bed liner kits are great for boats even boat bottoms for protection against wearing out your glass.

Have at it Micky, as I said, I won't and I won't recommend it to anybody else. Ultimately it is up to the individual to make a choice for themselves and it affects me in no way.

That said, I do have sprayed bedliner on two of my trucks. But in 50 years of boating, I have never worn out a glass boat.

 

[coulombemr]

Thanks everyone for your responses, experiences and ideas thus far! You've certainly confirmed all of my suspicions which is reassuring for me. I will likely attempt Woodonglass' approach of adding support from rail to rail to distribute the weight and hopefully prevent the cracking. I'll snap some photos pre- and post-flip (assuming I'm successful).

Here's a photo of the spot that is damaged the worst that I'm assuming will need fibreglass repair as well. I know it's hard to tell the size of that, but it stretches approximately 12-18" I'd say. The loose bits that are dangling are flex-seal, which was an attempt at a temporary fix (long story). So for those wondering about flex-seal on a boat exterior, don't bother, it didn't last the push off the trailer.

I'll get more photos of the damage when it's upside down. Wish me luck!

 

[mickyryan]

flex seal is just epdm rubber put in a can and sold for way more then it should be , if you ever decide to you it on anything again just buy it by the 5 gallon pail at 50 bucks or so and thin to shoot lol , that said its great on roofs but not much else imho

 

[Woodonglass]

If you use 2-3 2x4's spread out across the beam and then strap it down hard, I assure you your hull will NOT flex at all during the roll over. No Cracked Glass etc... It will be fine unless you have a defective gelcoat layup,.

 

[coulombemr]

Update: Used 5 2x6's across the top to distribute the weight (pics) when I rolled it. Once it was off the trailer, myself and one other person were able to roll it over. I did this on the lawn. So now it's upside down and ready for likely more work than I've anticipated. You can see all of the spots.

I was at a marine supply store to buy supplies and let them tell me what I would need. I was only thinking the large spot would need work but I feel like I should do more while its upside down. Anyway, I walked away with a litre of gel coat, quart of resin and a yard of fibre glass, hardener, and then some sort of fibreglass putty mixture.

He suggested I use the putty to fill the spot in, then glass over top, then gel coat. I just watched a you tube video that recommended glass then putty mixture, then gel coat. Which is best?

I figure there will be a huge learning curve with all of these products, so where should I start first?

As for the scratches that seem to run the entire length of the bottom, would you recommend I do something about those?

Thanks again for your help!

 

[Woodonglass]

I'll give you one thing...That's some Overkill bracing If I ever saw any!!!
.
Ok, some questions. Is the Brown just dirt OR is the Gelcoat/Paint rubbed off down to the Glass. I can't really tell from the pics. It kinda looks like the glass. If that IS the case then you have a decision to make. Paint the hull or put down more gel coat. As for the gouges the first thing is to use a dremel and a sander to clean out all loose debris and get down to good clean glass. Then wash out with Acetone. Use the filler to fill the majority of the hole but doesn't have to be perfect. Once it's dry then sand again with 80 grit and feather out about 5-6" Then use Chopped strand mat and resin to make football shaped patches for the area. First patch size should be about the size of the gouge and each successive patch 1" larger. 3-4 patches is all that's needed. Use a 4" short nap roller to roll the resin into the CSM on each patch. Resin will cure hard in about 30-45 minutes. If you tape some plastic over the patch it'll cure tack free and make for easier final sanding. Deep scratches just need to be dremeled out a bit and then cleaned with acetone and filled with filler. No glasss needed. Once All the repairs are done, you need to do final sanding and fairing with the putty, and sand to 150 grit.. You're ready for Gelcoat or Paint. When you get to that point we can discuss technique for what ever you choose.

 

[coulombemr]

I believe the brown is just dirt or whatever happens from a boat sitting in the water for a long time. I haven't had success cleaning it off though.

 

[coulombemr]

The more I read the more I'm certain the brown is in the gel coat because the boat sat on shore in the water, and I guess gel coat is porous.

I'm thinking it might be best if once all the repairs are done I sand the bottom some and apply marine paint to the entire bottom.

 

[Woodonglass]

Ok, Try taking some Toilet bowl cleaner and soaking a towel with it and lay it on the hull for a day. SnoBol is a good one cuz it's HIGH in Oxalyic Acid content. After all the repairs are done, I agree a good paint job would be a good idea. Check out the last link below in my signature lines.

 

[MTboatguy]

Woo Hoo for tractor paint, good stuff, I have did it on a few boats and trailer and that stuff is hard to damage!

 

[coulombemr]

After some light sanding of the gel coat the brown does go away. (Tested a spot, not entire boat).

I know I'm a ways away from paint, but I do like to plan, so I have some questions about painting. First off, if it wasn't clear, my plan was to paint over the existing gel coat. So I'm also assuming a light sanding of the existing gel coat is required for better adhesion. Am I correct?

I've reviewed the write up on the use of tractor paint, and I'm not going to lie, it's quite intimidating. Is the best greatest benefit cost savings? Or is it also stronger/more durable than marine paint?