Tips On Fiberglass Boat Repairs: Hull
<<>> Unlike wooden hulls, fiberglass ones are very tough. Hulls manufactured in this fabric are made from many layers of chemically bonded material. The gelcoat we see is the surface of a 'new' look sailboat. It takes its shine from the mold in which it was made.
The difference between repairing the deck and the hull is considerable. In fact hull repair is straight forward. Apprehension comes from not understanding the material used. The product used are durable and easy to maintain. It is made up of very thin layers - called laminates. Fiberglass repairs is all about replacing those layers in style they were made.
The surface is featureless and so easy to repair. Preparation by cleaning and grinding ensures boat repairs are equal in strength to the rest of the hull. The layers or laminates which make up the hull can be damaged. When repairs are being undertaken, attention needs to be given to them before gelcoat repair can begin.
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Unlike other blistering, this material blisters whilst the boat is in the water. The gelcoat is weakened and osmosis takes place as a result. The water bonds chemically with the laminate forming a blister. One in four boats is susceptible to blistering.
By opening the blister and allowing to dry over laying up time you remove the problem. Deep blisters between laminates rather than gelcoat and laminate, are the result of the laminate layer drying out at the time of manufacture.
Each layer needs to be damp to bond with the next. Drying out causes weakness - result deep blistering.
Impact damage for boat fiberglass repair can be daunting. The difficulty lies in getting the laminates to be continuous with the rest of the hull. Cutting out the damaged area and using one layer of glass to cover the hole makes the job visible easier.
Locate the damaged area from inside. If there is nothing in the way of cutting the damage out - then do so. Remember that there will be delamination around the damage, so tap around the edges to evaluate. Delamination occurs as the water gets between the laminates in the area of the damage.
The important aspect of hull repairs, is to work from the inside to repair the outside. This way you are emmulating the production process of the boat. Benefits include minimizing gelcoat repair and finish, but also the amount of work overall. This is due to the curve of the hull.
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