Re: [Paddlewise] General Maintenance

Clyde W Sisler <clyde.sisler_at_wang.com> wrote :-
<While applying some fiberglass buffing compound to the forward hatch
cover I noticed a hairline crack that goes all the way through.>
Hi Clyde,
A dilema.....wether to mess with it or not !
You probably should investigate why it has happened; e.g. Gel is liable
to stress fracture as it is not as flexible as the resin and mat
underneath. One of the most common  locations is over the bulkhead. One
of the problems that may arise, being  as you store your boat outside in
the winter, is that ice will expand the crack. Boats tend to take on
some water throughout the season due to osmosis  through minute
imperfections in the 'wetting out' process or wear and tear damage. A
nice warm  cellar is perfect. ( Forgive my ignorance if you live in
Florida!). My inclination would be to buy some Gel either ready made as
a repair putty of the regular stuff. Gently route out ( a Dremmel with a
conical bit is ideal ) or otherwise open up the crack enough to dribble
gel in there. Colour matching is always good. A strip of  smooth tape on
top will smooth out the repair and exclude the air thus speeding the
cure time. Finish off with wet and dry say from 280 down to 1000 grit if
your fussy and complete with some buffer.
The underside is easier to deal with. A simple patch of mat wetted out
with resin or just a wipe with a loaded brush if you are sure there is
no structural damage
You mentioned ' epoxy ' something or other. I assume you are talking
about the ready made repair putty, great though it is, is not ideal for
a small cosmetic job like this.
<The 6-9 inch section of the keel(?) at the extreme end of the stern is
worn through the gel coat >
This is an ideal place to put a keel strip. Sand and clean the area. Use
masking tape around the repair to stop resin spreading all over the
boat. Cut 2 or 3 strips of fibre glass  overlapping by by inch or so.
Mix up the resin, following the manufactures quantities and not like I
do ( a very generous squirt of catalyst followed by a smoking pot).
Apply the resin to the mat on layer at a time making sure the mat is
completely 'wetted out'. That shouldn't mean that great gobs of it are
cascading down the hull. Stand back and resist the temptation to go back
in a smooth it out. Sand it down later. Try to remove the masking tape
before the resin seals it onto the boat and be careful not to lift the
patch when removing the tape. A craft knife can cut away any strands of
glass that have inadvertently crept over the tape.
You can could also use the epoxy putty for this job. Simply smooth it
over  and sand it off later but if you own a glass boat it is almost
incumbent on you to come to terms with resins and the like.(IMHO !)
< the place they would be installed has a thin material pulling loose
from the shell.>
What loose material ?  It's not fibre glass is it ? Sounds a little
scary to me? ! If there were foam pads there before it may just be
residual contact adhesive. Scrape it off and glue the new foam pads over
it.
Hope this helps rather than discourages !
Phil.



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