Keel damage from front roller on trailer - bad?

[ElmoTheDestroyer]

Hi,

I recently bought a boat, and I somehow managed to completely miss some damage. The front wheel roller on the trailer is wore out (see pic), and due to the fact the hull has been riding on the bolt that goes through the center of the roller instead of the actual rubber for the most part.

I'm sure its hard to say without seeing it in person, but any idea how bad this is? Ive never done fiberglass repair/work on fiberglass boats so I'm not sure if its just cosmetic, or something that I should definitely fix before going out on the water.

I'll probably take it into a local boat place and have them look at it, but I won't have a chance till the end of the week and I'm really antsy to have some idea how bad this is...

I'm going to replace that roller tomorrow or the next day, when I get it off I'll get some better pics of the damage and post them.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be great!

Thanks!
--Elmo

 

[DBreskin]

Re: Keel damage from front roller on trailer - bad?

If the damage allows water to get into the hull, it should be repaired before going into the water again. If the gelcoat is broken through the fiberglass could absorb water if left exposed long enough.

It doesn't look that bad in the first picture.

 

[superbenk]

Re: Keel damage from front roller on trailer - bad?

I have a similar problem that's been there since I got the boat about 4 yrs ago. I've tried fixing it with a number or things (kneedable epoxy - the kind in the two-color tube, MarineTex). Neither lasted & would eventually crack and come out if the keel hit again. Finally I bit the bullet and used actual fiberglass repair (Bondo kit from auto store). The fix looks terrible, but it's been holding up just fine. I ground the crumbling epoxy & fiberglass down to fresh fiberglass before patching so it'd have a good surface.

Patching upside down right where that roller was is the hardest part & the Bondo fiberglass kit is junk which are why the results look so bad. One of these days I'll redo it more correctly & it'll look like new (assuming I can match the gel coat).

I've never had a drop of water in the boat since patching it. I don't think there is any wood behind that area, but if there is you should make sure it's not rotten.

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Keel damage from front roller on trailer - bad?

Hi,

I recently bought a boat, and I somehow managed to completely miss some damage. The front wheel roller on the trailer is wore out (see pic), and due to the fact the hull has been riding on the bolt that goes through the center of the roller instead of the actual rubber for the most part.

I'm sure its hard to say without seeing it in person, but any idea how bad this is? Ive never done fiberglass repair/work on fiberglass boats so I'm not sure if its just cosmetic, or something that I should definitely fix before going out on the water.

I'll probably take it into a local boat place and have them look at it, but I won't have a chance till the end of the week and I'm really antsy to have some idea how bad this is...

I'm going to replace that roller tomorrow or the next day, when I get it off I'll get some better pics of the damage and post them.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be great!

Thanks!
--Elmo
View attachment 160001View attachment 160002

The roller is broken, allowing the boat to pound on the metal roller axle, breaking the gelcoat and the glass underneath.

I think there is the beginning of, if not actual, structural damage. The best way to repair it is to remove the roller, so as to reach the damage, grind away the gelcoat and all damaged fiberglass, tapering the shoulders of the "hole" at least 1-2", then lay in alternating layers of chopped mat and woven roven to achieve a slightly raised repair, then sand level, paint or gelcoat. Replace with a new roller.

The very best way would be to work from the inside also, but not easily achieved in this case.

The crack looks like it was caused by a failure of the glass, and a "bondo" repair wont work. And 'bondo" has no place on a boat, also "Marine Tex" is not a structural ingredient. It is gelcoat to be used for cosmetic repairs, has no strength.

 

[superbenk]

Re: Keel damage from front roller on trailer - bad?

The crack looks like it was caused by a failure of the glass, and a "bondo" repair wont work. And 'bondo" has no place on a boat, also "Marine Tex" is not a structural ingredient. It is gelcoat to be used for cosmetic repairs, has no strength.

I did not repair the crack with Bondo (not 'bondo', it's a brand) but with a fiberglass repair kit made by Bondo. It consistes of fiberglass matting, resin & hardner. It has nothing to do with the Bondo epoxy filler other than being sold by the same company. The kit wasn't impressive, but it was indeed a fiberglass repair kit for doing just as you suggested:

http://bondo.com/bondo-fiberglass-resin-repair-kit-420.html

Also, I made it pretty clear that MarineTex wouldn't suffice.

 

[ElmoTheDestroyer]

Re: Keel damage from front roller on trailer - bad?

Thanks for the replies... I ended up finding a guy who's highly recommended locally, who happened to work out of the neighborhood I live in (living in neighborhood with a large marina in it has its perks I guess ) ... Because he's so close he drove over to check out the boat.

Basically he said he'd fix it, plus some other dings/gouges for $100-150 ... Guess it wasn't as bad as I thought, and the guy seems really reasonable on his prices, so I'm happy.

If I remember I'll post some pics of the finished repair. Might be a couple weeks though, gotta wait till payday.

Thanks again!
--Elmo