Preservation Tape on Hull Damage?

[wristwister]

So over the weekend I glanced a buoy in my Tartan 30 and put a small gash in the hull. About a foot long, well above the waterline, but the fiberglass did slice through. I plan to have it professionally repaired correctly, but I was planning to haul the boat out next Spring for bottom paint, through hull work, prop bushing etc., so I'm not real keen on taking her out of commission right now in the height of sailing season. Several repair outfits have recommended that I patch the gash with "preservation tape" till I'm ready to haul out.

What do you all think of this? Will preservation tape keep things water tight for a few months? The slice is high and forward enough to where I can't imagine heeling enough to submerge it, but I'd still like to know it will be waterproof till we haul out.

Also, what sort of surface preparation should I do for the tape? Just good cleaning? Sanding to rough it up? Sand through gel coat?

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

[JPA Cate]

If you can post a couple of pictures of the damage, it would be easier to give you feedback. Are we talking about a deep gelcoat scratch, or did it go into the roving?

It's asking a lot of polyethelene tape and rubber stickum to keep it dry for so many months.

[wristwister]

Thanks Ann. Yes, it did slice into the roving. The top of the buoy was a sharp edge and it sliced right in. Picture below, and any advice on a temporary fix till haul out would be greatly appreciated!

[atoll]

gaffer tape or paint on a bit of gel coat should do the trick,unless it has gone right through the hull,clean with acetone first

[minaret]

Pres. tape will do just fine for a few months, unless exposed to lots of UV and really high temps. Either layer like shingles on a roof or buy Dr. Shrink in 4" or wider rolls. Expensive, though.

[wristwister]

Thanks for the quick advice all!

Atoll: yes it has "gone right through the hull". It's a pretty clean slice, like a knife went in.

Minaret: would a good cleaning around the periphery do for that preservation tape, or should I sand it down or rough it up first?

[Chenega]

Do the repair correctly in the water. A quick one day job till you can complete the cosmetic work at haul out. Vinylester resin and glass... No big deal

[minaret]

Originally Posted by wristwister

Thanks for the quick advice all!

Atoll: yes it has "gone right through the hull". It's a pretty clean slice, like a knife went in.

Minaret: would a good cleaning around the periphery do for that preservation tape, or should I sand it down or rough it up first?

Scrub with alchohol or acetone first to dewax. Anything more may annoy he (or she) who repairs it. Pres tape was originally known as "pressure sensitive tape" (as many others have been). Rub the hell out of it.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by wristwister

Thanks for the quick advice all!

Atoll: yes it has "gone right through the hull". It's a pretty clean slice, like a knife went in.

Minaret: would a good cleaning around the periphery do for that preservation tape, or should I sand it down or rough it up first?

if you plan on sailing it for the next few months i would glass with polyester resin and csm and mat on the inside for strenth and tape or gelcoat the gash outside,cleaning with acetone should ensure a good bond outside for tape or gelcoat as a tempory measure.

as the gash is right through the repair will have to be properly ground out and rebuilt from both sides once in the yard,trying to do the job in the water will be a nightmare and result in a very poor finish.

[The Way]

Originally Posted by wristwister

So over the weekend I glanced a buoy in my Tartan 30 and put a small gash in the hull. About a foot long, well above the waterline, but the fiberglass did slice through. I plan to have it professionally repaired correctly, but I was planning to haul the boat out next Spring for bottom paint, through hull work, prop bushing etc., so I'm not real keen on taking her out of commission right now in the height of sailing season. Several repair outfits have recommended that I patch the gash with "preservation tape" till I'm ready to haul out.

What do you all think of this? Will preservation tape keep things water tight for a few months? The slice is high and forward enough to where I can't imagine heeling enough to submerge it, but I'd still like to know it will be waterproof till we haul out.

Also, what sort of surface preparation should I do for the tape? Just good cleaning? Sanding to rough it up? Sand through gel coat?

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

I use Marine-Tex for temp repairs like this. Easy to use, lasts for years, and won't discolor. Scrub the gouge with acetone first.

Fair winds,
The Way

[jgbrown]

Originally Posted by wristwister

Thanks for the quick advice all!

Atoll: yes it has "gone right through the hull". It's a pretty clean slice, like a knife went in.

Minaret: would a good cleaning around the periphery do for that preservation tape, or should I sand it down or rough it up first?

If you're going to use tape on the outside there is a very good tape made by scapa tape. I don't have a part number anymore unfortunately, but I used it years ago when canoeing. Even patched a run about bimini with it. It is a fine fiberglass cloth with an aggressive adhesive. Lovely stuff, never leaked either. Much tougher than preservation tape, even somewhat abrasion resistant.

[roverhi]

For a repair like this, I'd use epoxy resin and cloth. Grind the the edges down to the glass laminate and lay on small patch using stitched mat. Stitch Mat is the kind with mat stitched to the roving. Cloth is not the best stuff for keeping water out unless you use several layers and load it up with resin. Polyester resin doesn't stick all that well to old laminate. Definitely not good enough to repair the boo boo you've got.

If the cut is short, a half or less the length of the mark on the hull, taping would probably work. I wouldn't want to do any serious beating if that is your fix, though.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by wristwister

So over the weekend I glanced a buoy in my Tartan 30 and put a small gash in the hull. About a foot long, well above the waterline, but the fiberglass did slice through. I plan to have it professionally repaired correctly, but I was planning to haul the boat out next Spring for bottom paint, through hull work, prop bushing etc., so I'm not real keen on taking her out of commission right now in the height of sailing season. Several repair outfits have recommended that I patch the gash with "preservation tape" till I'm ready to haul out.

What do you all think of this? Will preservation tape keep things water tight for a few months? The slice is high and forward enough to where I can't imagine heeling enough to submerge it, but I'd still like to know it will be waterproof till we haul out.

Also, what sort of surface preparation should I do for the tape? Just good cleaning? Sanding to rough it up? Sand through gel coat?

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

Where ya haulin out? Which outfit told you to pres tape it? Bet it was someone I know...