This fusion bondage epoxy will repair and waterproof aluminum boat rivets, minor cracks and small holes without welding. Clean the damaged area on the aluminum with some acetone and rags, removing algae, mud and all chemical water stains. But for older boats this means you now have an extra thruhull that will need attention. Patching holes boat repair ocean skiff journal beyond.
The hole will be filled with pieces of 10ounce roving to the thickness of the hull. If its not addressed, it threatens the integrity of your boat to a degree well beyond surface dings and marks. Were so used to keeping the boat off the shallow spots. Fiberglass boat repair theres a hole in my boat part. Repairing a fiberglass boat or jet ski body can be a simple task to do yourself in order to avoid costly repair prices.
All you need is a standard torch and fine sandpaper or a wire brush. Now you know how to fix a hole in a fiberglass boat. The size of the snap rivets will depend on the aluminum thickness of the pontoon. Pinhole repair in aluminium boat boating fishraider. That particular area appears to have been patched before but now i got a new hole in the patch. How to patch a fiberglass hull patching a hole in a fiberglass hull is fairly easy. Watching a professional do the job can help you get on the right track and be confident in doing the repair yourself. If the damage does go all the way through, simply tape a piece of cardboard on the inside of the hull. How to fix screw holes in fiberglass bass boats, canoes. Erik norrie, ceo of sea hawk, shows the best way to patch holes in a boat hull using sea hawks signature products. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating. Otherwise, it would be impossible to enjoy a ride on your boat as the hole makes it too risky or even deadly.
For new boat owners this requires only one thruhull hole to be drilled. A hole in a fiberglass hull is healed with a bit of glass fabric and resin. Patching a hole in fiberglass totalboat ambassadors kent and audrey lewis from small boat restoration in florida did a great blog post about how to patch a hole in fiberglass. Fixing a plastic polyethylene kayak with a hole in it. The collision had compressed the hull and, while it had appeared to pop back into shape, the main bulkhead had been badly damaged. Have an assistant help you lift the boat up and balance it hull side up on the three points formed by the saw horses. As we sand the topsides for repainting, we have found on a few small. Aug 11, 2011 drilling holes in your hull besides docking on a windy day with a new boat in front of an audience, drilling holes is one of the most dreaded tasks for a doityourself boater. Jun 29, 2011 repairing larger holes in your boston whaler hull can be a little more involved than small dings, however, the process is still relatively simple. You are going to bevel the edge of the hole with a 12to1 chamfer, so if you repair a 3inch diameter hole through a 12inchthick hull from the outside, you end up with about 15 inches diameter of surface damage to refinish. Mix up some marine epoxy and coat the screw threads. This is a pretty common issue that youll run into with older boats so. But boats are full of holes, from antennas on the hardtop to transducers on the bottom.
Patching old screw holes in aluminum hull the united. Mar 18, 2016 what size holes if someone put a threw the hull fitting in the bottom of the boat like they did mine i would take it to a weld shop and pay them the 50 bucks to have it fixed right, j b weld is good stuff for some things but once you use it makes it very hard to weld with out a lot of work of removing 100% of the stuff before welding, would think real hard of using it below the water line. Aug 19, 2016 a major fiberglass repair, such as patching a hole, can be a daunting task. First, grind around the edge of the hole to make it smooth. Make an angle that goes towards the hull so that the resin wont get caught and create air pockets.
Get a boat insurance quote upgrade towing become a member renew membership login to my account file a boat insurance claim design boat lettering apply for a boat loan download boatus app obtain mmsi number take a free online safety course. How to patch a hole in a fiberglass boat bottom paint store. I cut small patches from thin aluminum old press plates, actually and stuck them onto the back with jb weld. Remember, this is going to end up on your hull, and your hull should always be smooth and consistent. Patching old screw holes in aluminum hull the united states. First you are going to sand or grind into the hole which is actually going to make it bigger. Drilling holes in your hull besides docking on a windy day with a new boat in front of an audience, drilling holes is one of the most dreaded tasks for a doityourself boater. First, examine the hole and look for cracks and chips extending out from the hole. My 21 sylvan was a fishing boat with a factoryinstalled livewell which i removed. I recently discovered a very small hole in my aluminium 3. Whether youre swapping out an old fishfinder transducer, changing a throughhull accessory, or just getting an old boat ready for some new life on the water, it may be necessary to plug old screw holes that lie beneath the waterline. In our case, the damage was superficial and didnt go all the way through the hull. Fibergl other damage parts hull how large of a hole in ship s hull repairing a ed hull on 16 how to repair fibergl on a boat how to fix a hole on fibergl boat plete diyhow to fix a hole on fibergl boat plete diyboat patching holes repair and diy show to repair and.
Here is a list of products you will need for the repair. You stick the folded device through the hole in the hull and then unfold it. Once applied, give your patch plenty of time to dry and set before you bring your boat into the water again, but dont be afraid to test it once youre sure that the patching is properly set. It drained through a plastic fitting mounted in the hull just above the waterline. Nov 22, 2014 although it is a larger hole, this is not a highrisk repair since the hole has existed without weakening the boat and is not underwater. Get simple directions on making this boat repair, along with a list of the. If needed, put a screw into the drill hole left by the hole saw to. Dont let it intrude into the fiberglass hole of the hull and use. Having a large hole on your fiberglass boat can make your beautiful boat go ugly in no time. Next, take a saw and cut out the damaged area that youve circled with the.
Hawk epoxy resin kit it contains the epoxy resin, catalyst and filler for the job. Lowkeelt demonstrates how to patch a hole in a fiberglass boat hull. Buy fiberglass rubbing compound to finish the repair. Use a countersink bit or rotary file and a drill motor to carefully grind away the swollen perimeter. Hi guys,just wondering if anyone had any experience with patching holes in aluminium boats and whats the best stuff to use. Sand or grind away until the edges are clear and then sand continue reading fixing or repairing larger holes in your boats hull. Then, put down a flexible cutting board by duct taping the two layers. If you restore fiberglass boats, fiberglass hole repair is going to be one of the tasks you face. Yesterday i went over a reef and accidentally put a small pencil sized hole in an existing patch on the boat. Whether you want to fix your aluminum siding or mend your aluminum boat, you may want to know how to repair holes in aluminum.
How to repair an aluminum boat hull gone outdoors your. Fiberglass boat repair theres a hole in my boat part from boatworks today. If the damaged area includes a hole more than a 1 to 1 12 inches in diameter, youll need to provide backing for the patch. Patching holes in aluminium boats fishing fishwrecked. These pesky holes happen from time to time when boats are hit or damaged and a large hole is left in your otherwise smooth fiberglass hull.
To prepare a firm base for the patch, enlarge the hole. This is part 1 of a 3 video series outlining how to repair structural damage to your fiberglass boat. One of the worst things that can happen to any boat is damage to the hull. Aluminum gets really soft around 900f and liquid around 1050f or so. The curve of the cardboard must match the hull contour precisely or the patch will be weak. How to repair a damaged pontoon gone outdoors your. You could just leave the old thruhull with a dummy plug in it but its one more thing to check routinely. Many folks will just fill in the hole, sand it smooth and call it a day. How to fix a hole on a fiberglass boat complete diy guide. So now my boat leaks, i tried to patch it with water weld. Dont let it intrude into the fiberglass hole of the hull and use thickened epoxy to secure it. So now my boat leaks, i tried to patch it with water weld and it. Here is a quick and easy way to plug small holes thats strong and looks good.
Heres a quick and simple way to patch small holes in a boat hull that does not require any sanding. Recently i even repaired a small hole in the bottom of my 12 foot jon boat and its held up very well. We then checked the outside of the hull to make sure that the pressure on the adhesive in the holes was not pushing the outer patch out of fair. Those rods are a joke be careful you dont melt a big hole in your boat. How to repair a fiberglass boat hull from the outside boat life. If repairing a drilled hole, the surface might have become elevated from the upward pressure of an old fastener.
I was working on my rod locker this weekend and popped a small hole through the side of the boat. For 10 years that quarter stayed in place ive since given the boat away. Finally, we had a hole roughly 8cm 3in across, around 20cm 8in below the waterline. Patching a small hole on the bottom of my hull pensacola. I think the corrosion was caused by a screw getting under the flooring. Sep 30, 2007 i have an alumacraft utility boat that has had a small hole punched in the side a little below the gunnel by being run into a sharp corner on a dock. You will definitely be needing the fiberglass glow bit repair kit available on amazon. If you cant find a repair kit buy 1 quart of polyester resin and hardener, and 2 square feet each of 10ounce roving and 7 12ounce fiberglass cloth. Removing the fitting will leave about a 112 diameter hole that i want to close up. Aug 02, 2017 ideally, we would have marked similar circles on the inside of the hull as well, so as to create hourglassshaped laminate patches for each hole, but we were living on the boat and this was not feasible. Patching holes in your hull is a necessary skill set for any boat repair guy.
A major fiberglass repair, such as patching a hole, can be a daunting task. How to repair a fiberglass boat hull from the outside. Puddy resinhardener kit for backfill of the gelcoat on the exterior of the hull. Even a hole the size of a domestic fridge can be invisibly repaired, and the hull will be just as strong as it was before or even stronger. The hole is about 34 inch long and 18 wide in the center of a shallow crease made by the impact. Learn how to patch a hole in the hull of your boat in 10 easy steps. I actively searched for the best way to patch small holes in fiberglass on the web. Overcoming the firstyear learning curve a free minicourse from the boat galley.
When the hole is backed, prepare the patching material. We cleaned the inside of the hull around each hole and covered them with duct tape to keep fiberglass dust from getting inside the boat. To patch the hole, buy a quartsize polyester resin fiberglass repair kit at a marine store. Select a stainless screw that will tap into the hole. For a 32 year old boat, daydreams my project boat hull is in amazing good condition. How to repair a hole in boat hull a pictures of hole 2018. But what if a hole in your hull came from the outside. Attach three layers of fiberglass strips with resin to the inside of the hull. Insert the screws and when tight go inside the hull and put some epoxy on the threads exposed on the inside. In this case, use a syringe to fill from the bottom of the blind hole. Fortunately, if you have a fiberglass boat hull, there are repair options available which can remedy your problems. Next, take a saw and cut out the damaged area that youve circled with the marker. Aluminum is also 100 percent recyclable and easily can be repaired. Ideally, we would have marked similar circles on the inside of the hull as well, so as to create hourglassshaped laminate patches for each hole, but we were living on the boat and this was not feasible.
If the damage area is small and above the waterline, make the repair from inside the hull, if possible. Patching a hole above the waterline boat design net. This stepbystep video tutorial produced by sea hawk paints will show exactly what needs to be done when patching a hole in your fiberglass boat. Grade the sizes so the widest piece is on the inside of hull. Finally getting started with the some of the fiberglass repairs on this project. Owned many boats, including a classic wooden vertue sloop. You take good care of your boat, paying special attention to even the smallest cracks and dings that form in the hull. When repairing fiberglass boats, the challenge is to determine an. The area inside the hull was first weakened by an anglegrinder, followed by 25 minutes of bashing with a lumphammer. Watching a professional do the job can help you get on the right. Nor do these repairs involve rocket science just some manual dexterity and the ability to think in three dimensions. Totalboat ambassadors kent and audrey lewis from small boat restoration in florida did a great blog post about how to patch a hole in fiberglass. Someone suggested using a two part epoxy putty sort of thing. Aug 20, 2015 16 things you need to know about filling in a thruhull.
Place three sawhorses in a triangular configuration on a level surface. I just removed my thru hull fitting for my livewell on my fiberglass boat and need to patch over the area. Patching old screw holes in aluminum hull discussion in boat tips started by chrisingeorgia, may 16, 2007. If the damage is significant, the boat should be taken out of the water and thoroughly inspected before carrying out any repairs. Fixing or repairing larger holes in your boats hull. Mar 26, 2010 my 21 sylvan was a fishing boat with a factoryinstalled livewell which i removed. Ever wanted to fix a crack or hole in a fibreglass boat. How to repair big holes in grp boats practical boat owner. Fiberglass boat repair theres a hole in my boat part 1 youtube. But with a fin keel, it was unlikely id get the sail close.
Fiberglass repairs fixing old holes in the hull youtube. The prior owner offered to have it welded closed but it is near a seat filled with foam. Repairing a hole in a fiber glass jet ski body ifixit. I have an alumacraft utility boat that has had a small hole punched in the side a little below the gunnel by being run into a sharp corner on a dock. How to patch a hole in a fiberglass hole wonderhowto. We then centered the stack of patches over the hole on the inside of the hull and carefully laid it into place photo 7. Now that the holes cut out, you need to determine the thickness of the hull. I had a roller come off trailer and the bracket gouged a small hole through my gell coat. How to repair fiberglass on a boat the family handyman. The problem with that is that those plugs will eventually work themselves loose. If theyre too small, the rivets wont go all the way through the patch and into the pontoon. Jul 17, 2017 its characteristics, such as low density and corrosion resistance, make it a popular and useful material.
If you need to plug a hole in your grp boat, fear not repairs are easy. Fiberglass repairs fixing old holes in the hull duration. Attach kitchen wax paper to the boat as a nonstick material for the poly resin to set against. How to fix a crack or hole in a fibreglass boat the new. In this short video i take a minute to fix up an old bad repair. The hole is below the water line on the boat, so i dont want to leave it and continue to use the boat the way it is. Repairing larger holes in your boston whaler hull can be a little more involved than small dings, however, the process is still relatively simple. I had one hole in the front of my boat that i gooped a quarter over.
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