Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list. etc

[Woodonglass]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

ondarvr is one of our forum "Glass" experts. He's been working "Glass" for over 40 years so he KNOWS of what he speaks. I'd heed his advice. It's sooo hard to tell from pics just how extensive the damage is and exactly what happened. If the gel was just severely scratched off that's one thing, if it "Popped" off due to severe flexing then that's totally a different thing and as he says it could very easily return back to it's original shape. Without actually being there to physically inspect it and see if the underlying glass is fractured its very hard to guide you. I believe you said you had access to the backside of this area from the inside, is this correct? Can you actually see the gelcoated surface of the glass on the backside? If so can you see and hairline cracks or any sign of damage or disturbance in the glass caused by flexing?

 

[chaparral2300]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Duct tape......
Nooooo! just kidding...
From the looks of it seems mostly cosmetic...I think with a good repair in that area, you should have no worries about ripping the bow off when winching the boat up on the trailer...
Matching the gel coat, that may be a bit more difficult, but not impossible, if you are willing to spend the time on it...
The best approach is to dish out the damaged area about a foot all around...I would work on the upper [cap] section separately from the bottom [hull] section...
If in the procees of grinding away the bad stuff and dishing it out you create a void in the center of the fiberglass, you will have to use an old "hole in the drywall trick"...create a backing for the hole out of cardboard with a string to pull it as tight as possible to the backside of the crack...this is assuming you do NOT have access to the area being repaired from the inside...this support will become part of the boat after the repair...
Then begin by applying several layers of CSM and 1708, as illustrated below...



Once you get close to the finished surface height, you make a filling/fairing paste out of the resin, or you can finish filling the area with color matched gel coat...

Then repeat on the lower damaged area...

The materials you will need amount to about a gallon of polyester resin with catalyst, a couple of square feet of 1.5 oz. CSM [chopped strand mat], maybe a yard of 1708 biaxial cloth, a pint or so of cabosil/aerosil, and a couple of handfuls of milled fibers...some 40-60 grit sandpaper, an inexpensive 4" angle grinder from Harbor Freight and a couple of 24-36 grit sanding discs for it...a couple of sheets of 80 grit and 120 grit sandpaper, a couple of chip brushes, some acetone, a couple of one quart mixing buckets, respirator, solvent resistant latex type gloves, goggles, some baby powder to keep your skin from itching and a few other odds and ends...

Once you are done with the repairs, then you can get a short section of rub rail plus insert, to finish it off...or if your pockets are deep enough, you could replace the entire rub rail...

BTW, I just want to say, this repair is in no way a substitute for the very real possibility that the rest of the boat may be in need of a full restoration, which if it is, I wouldn't worry about this repair until well after I began the restoration...

Let us know how it goes, and if you have any other questions, feel free...
Best of luck and have fun!

PS- there is a little more to it, but that's the basics...

I completly under stand about the remainder of the boat needing possible repairs. But prior to purchase I went thru this boat with a moisture meter, ( I do emergency water exstraction for employment) so these meters are on hand, should have seen the owner when I pulled out a moisture meter and started probing the transom. and floor, and stringers where applicable. you would have thought he seen an alien. But seeing as I am burried in a project identical to the boat I pictured. My project boat is a 2300sx sport open bow, completly gutted to bare shell. I bought a 2300sx sport closed bow to boat around in until I was able to perform these repairs on my own time as needed. so the remaining part of boat is of no concern to me. ITS SOLID FOR SURE. I want to perform a DIY repair as close to professional as possible and I am pretty good with my hands and following direction. Just wanted some input from some that have done it before.

 

[chaparral2300]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

I pulled the headliner back and carpet down off wall in forward bow area, the daylight i see appears to be from the pop rivet that was pulled from its location when the rub rail was torn away, my initial thought was for an impact to tear thru that rub rail it had to be significant in nature. but with further investigation I am finding that, yes there is fiberglass damage, exterior. I am not finding any evidence of the impact on the inside of the boat minus the pop rivet exposing daylight. I don't see any daylight thru the (what I will refer to as the field) the field being the remainder of fiberglass surrounding the pop rivet.The lip (upper shell) at impact point is very flemsy now, can push it in with a finger, the upper cap at the point that looks to be damaged the most, it's plyable, meaning there is some ability to flex the top cap at the particular location. I was thinking about going inside and grinding the area, and laying some glass to give it a backer of sorts, something absolute solid to perform a repair to for the outside. and go from there.

 

[chaparral2300]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Tomorrow I will get some different picks, I will get inside the boat, place a light on the outside directly up to the hull, and take some pictures. this should shed some light on what i am looking at for you to make an educated answer based on information that I can provide. I am in no hurry, well just before summer anyhow.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Yep, pics of the inside behind the damage would be helpful. If there's anyway to post a video of you flexing the edge at the point of impact etc.. that might also be helpful. Additional pics from different angles and better lighting could also help. the good thing is this particular area is not, IMHO, a critical structural area and since you have access to both sides, you should be able to get this done without too much of a problem but it's still remains to be seen.

 

[chaparral2300]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

I agree, I am no way down playing it, but on the other hand I watch you guys rebuild complete POS boat's on here and turn them into real nice very proud to own boats. When I agreed to continue to purchase this boat, I specifically had in mind the guys on this forum helping me thru this repair. I immediatly thought, hell these guys can do this with there eyes closed. but yea, ill try and get the things you mentioned, not sure how the video will load but I will try.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

The amount of damage is nearly identical to the bow of my father in laws boat. This was 30 years ago and he had a very good friend do the work as he worked with fiberglass everyday at his job. My FIL only paid for materials including the rubber bumper. That cost him $400 back then. Doubtful if you'll fix this for less than a grand.

 

[zool]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Hey chap, just want to throw in my 2C...

Given the fact that you took on a boat without a drive train, and with glass damage, its needless to say you have a decent sized project on your hands..to get it water ready. If I understand correctly, you want to fix this hull and throw in your other drivetrain and get going, and you believe the substructure is good, you may as well make it look good too.

From where I sit, it think you could fix the glass from the outside only..you do have a good amount of meat to add to the one area at hull hard break. It looks like there are two hard lines you need to fair...these are the lines of the hull nose, and will catch the eye.

Also, aside from the obvious manufacturer specific wide rub rail, from the looks of the ghosting, and rough gel color break, someone removed a wide strip from the upper portion of the blue area. Plus, the blue gel looks extensively oxidized.

You may want to consider making the repairs and fairing it all the best you can, and coating it with white gel, prolly just as difficult to match, but less obvious in the end....then taping off the blue area of the whole boat from the highest and lowest gel line, and paint it with a linear polyurethane or hydrid urethane. After you buff out the white, the blue paint will be the main focus. If you cant source the wide rubrail, maybe you could make another shape work.

It looks like the blue gel has a lot of rough areas, not related to the UPS thing..just normal age and dock rash..

With all the work you have ahead of you, it could look sweet in the end...IMO

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

If it is in fact not as dire as it appears, it will be one of the few instances of damage that's not actually much worse then it appears. If so GREAT! Typically, it's the other way, significantly more often. Still plan for the worst & hope for the best.

Good luck w/ your project, I'm lousy at matching wood stain, let alone paint, or worse still gelcoat. :faint2: Zool & WOG can certainly help you find a great, long lasting paint alternative if you choose to shoot blue or white paint instead of trying to match the faded blue gelcoat.

Be sure to have all the correct PPE ready & waiting before you start to prep, grind & repair the damage.

 

[chaparral2300]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

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Here are some additional photo's I have a video of it but I am still trying to get it to upload, so be patient and I will try an load the nec. information to continue. Thanks again.

 

[chaparral2300]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

I tried to load video, says file to large to send.

So today when visiting the garage, I poked sternly in on the damaged area and had some flex in the materials. Nothing that really seemed to cause much concern, the lighting was to bad inside to get good pics. On the lower shell the blue gell, there really only seems to be one spot affected. What I did not mention is when this boat was hit, it was sitting on some stryofoam, not on a trailer, so when he backed into it, the entire boat moved with the force of the truck. It was not held stationary on a trailer to receive the blunt blow of a dead hit. It was knocked off of it's stryofoam and onto a lower piece about 6 inches onto another section of styrofoam. That may help in the explanation of things.

 

[chaparral2300]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

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Here are some additional photo's I have a video of it but I am still trying to get it to upload, so be patient and I will try an load the nec. information to continue. Thanks again.

The second picture is looking at the boat's hull from infront of it, opposite side of impact to establish a line of sight down the damaged side.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Yeah, you load your vids to youtube or Photobucket and then link to em.

Well, I'm gunna throw in with Zool and say this can be fixed on the outside. I suspect the glass in the lip is somewhat fractured but I believe due to it's location you can effect a repair that will be adequate to get the job done. As he and I both have stated, Paint may be a better alternative to gel but we can work on that AFTER you get the glass work done. First thing to do is get her ground down, and get some fresh glass layed up and faired in. You're gunna need at least a gallon of Laminating Poly resin, a yard or two of 1.5 oz CSM and a Yard of 1708 biaxial fabric. A qt of Glass Bubbles and a Gallon of Cabosil. Plastic Buckets and Chip Brushes. Pretty much what GT1000000 said to get. Everything needs to be ground down to fresh glass and back about 6-8" from any damage. Dish it out towards the middle from both sides. a 4 1/2" grinder with a backup pad and 24-36 grit sanding discs will make short work of the grinding. Make sure to wear a mask and all the other PPE.